Category Archives: Money & Wealth

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December 9, 2014

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Holidays & Holy Days, Love & Works, Money & Wealth

“WHAT SHOULD WE DO?” – Stroller Sunday

The crowds asked, “What should we do?” John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.” [Luke 3:10-12 (NLT)]DSC02134aWEB

There are two towns in our county that, while separated by only a few miles, are worlds apart. In one, a diner may pay as much as $17 for a simple tomato salad; in the other, the person who picked those tomatoes may well go to bed hungry. In one town, two homes recently sold for over $40 million each, another home is on the market at $80 million and a 1-acre lot is listed at $25 million. Nearly half the population in the other community lives below the poverty level; home values there are less than half the state’s average. One city boasts Maserati and Rolls Royce car dealerships, Porsches are frequently seen at McDonald’s drive-through windows, and private jets fly in and out of the local airport every weekend. People in the other community, however, rarely own even a “beater” car; most have no easy DSC03399WEBmeans of transportation. In one municipality, it’s common to see pampered pooches riding in designer strollers. In the other, where most families have to walk or use buses to go anywhere, even a used baby stroller is a precious commodity. Their serious need for baby strollers was brought to the attention of our pastor and he has designated December 14 as “Stroller Sunday.” Our goal is to gather 100 strollers for the people of that community. I’m confident that there will be a stage lined with baby strollers the 14th.

We don’t have to do anything as dramatic as gathering 100 strollers, however, to make a difference in someone’s life. As we rush through the malls this holiday season, buying what we consider “necessities” but for many others would be luxury items, why not stop by one of the many giving trees and pick a name or two of someone for whom to purchase gifts? The Wise Men brought gifts to the baby Jesus, let’s think about bringing some gifts to those less fortunate. Let Christmas truly be a time of giving, not getting; may it be a time of bringing comfort and joy to others with acts of kindness and generosity.

Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most. [Ruth Carter Stapleton]

Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed. [Proverbs 28:27 (NLT)]

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December 8, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, God's Grace & Love, Love & Works, Money & Wealth

NOTHING BUT THE BEST

Honor the Lord by making him an offering from the best of all that your land produces. [Proverbs 3:9 (GNT)]

Our guest room is a jumble of wrapping paper, ribbon, tape, tissue and gifts waiting to be wrapped. Whenever another package is delivered by UPS or Fed Ex, I eagerly open it, examine the contents and then start wrapping. I looked forward to the arrival of some projects I’d made on my favorite photo web site but, when I opened their bright orange package, I was disappointed to find two small manufacturing flaws in one of the items. I wouldn’t give anything less than the best to my family so I immediately e-mailed my complaint. The company is making another (and hopefully perfect) one for me, but my refusal to give something slightly flawed to someone I love brought to mind this verse from Proverbs. 
If I’ll only give “the best” to a loved one, what makes me think that less than my best is good enough for God? If we love God, we should honor Him by giving Him only the best we have to offer! Yet, instead of giving Him the first and finest, we often give Him only what’s left-over or substandard. Instead of choosing the items most needed by the food bank, do we ever look through our pantries and only donate what we’ve overstocked or, worse, what is outdated? When we contribute to charity auctions, rummage sales, or resale shops, do we choose items we’d ever consider possessing or just the stained and damaged things we’d never consider wearing? Do we have the unspoken caveats of “Only if it’s convenient… if I remember… if nothing better comes along!” when we volunteer to help a worthy cause? When we contribute our time or talents, do we ever slack off and think, “Well, it’s close enough for volunteer work,” and do shoddy or sloppy work? When (perhaps I should say “if”) we use our money to help the disadvantaged or sick, is it just our spare change that is dropped into the bell-ringer’s bucket or do we dig deep into our pockets? After serious thought and prayer, do we budget money for the church’s work as readily as we do for our mortgage and vacation fund, or do we just give God whatever money happens to be left over once we’ve spent all we want?
Let us never forget that everything we have, every blessing we enjoy, is a gift from God. It’s only right that we should return it to Him. He knows we’re not perfect and he doesn’t expect perfection from us. He does, however, demand the first and best from each and every one of us. After all, He cared enough to send the very best, his only begotten Son, so that we could have eternal life. We should always give him our best in return.

When you care enough to send the very best. [Hallmark Cards slogan]

Give all ye have, as well as all ye are, a spiritual sacrifice to Him, who withheld not from you his dear Son, his only Son. [John Wesley]

Now, our God, we give you thanks, and we praise your glorious name. Yet my people and I cannot really give you anything, because everything is a gift from you, and we have only given back what is yours already. … O Lord, our God, we have brought together all this wealth to build a temple to honor your holy name, but it all came from you and all belongs to you. I know that you test everyone’s heart and are pleased with people of integrity. In honesty and sincerity I have willingly given all this to you, and I have seen how your people who are gathered here have been happy to bring offerings to you. [1 Chronicles 29:13-14,16-17 (GNT)]

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August 21, 2014

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God's Grace & Love, Love & Works, Money & Wealth, Obedience

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN GIVEN?

You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” [Acts 20:35b (NLT)]

As I perused a glossy magazine dedicated to the wealthy, I saw short pieces about men’s handkerchiefs that sell for over one hundred dollars, a walnut portable bar (perfect for when you’re out hunting) costing about $7,600, Ferragamo sneakers that go for $1,200, and a $67,500 watch that covers all thirty times zones! An article about a Moroccan hotel mentioned its rack rate (ranging from $2,250 to $50,000 per night) but the advertisements for cars and watches didn’t even mention cost; apparently, if you have to ask, you clearly can’t afford them!

What a relief to then read about self-made billionaire Marc Benioff who has integrated philanthropy into his company’s basic philosophy; every year it donates 1% of its profits, staff hours and technology to various charities. Since 1999, over $53 million has been given away, employees have volunteered more than 500,000 hours, and company software has been made available to 20,000 non-profits. Recently, Benioff challenged twenty other technology companies to pledge a combined $10 million to fight poverty in the San Francisco area. Within sixty days, three out of four companies approached had signed onto the project. Benioff’s next goal is to raise another $50 million from one hundred more businesses this year. He was understandably disappointed by one wealthy entrepreneur’s response to his request: “What have I been given? Why do I need to give back?”

We’re not billionaires and the amounts asked from us are a pittance in comparison, but do we ever respond as coldly? Do we ask, “What have I been given? Why should I give back?” Let us never forget that everything we have has been given to us by God. Our talent, skills, intelligence, looks, parents, race, nationality and opportunities are all gifts from God. Yes, we’ve worked hard and struggled to achieve but what we’ve accomplished has much more to do with God’s hand than our efforts.

Why do we need to give back? That one’s easy: because we’re told to do so! Giving, however, isn’t just a way to be obedient to God; it is also a way to honor Him. Perhaps the best reason to give, however, is because of the joy that it brings, not just to the recipient, but to the giver as well!

The real joy in life comes from giving. … That’s the grace that pays out every single day for me. [Marc Benioff in “Forbes Life,” Summer 2014]

What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift? [1 Corinthians 4:7b (NLT)]

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March 24, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Money & Wealth, Obedience

What Does God Want from Us?

What should I bring when I come to the Lord’s presence, when I bow in front of the God of heaven? [Micah 6:6a (GW)]

In spite of all the rules regarding temple offerings in The Old Testament, the sacrifices of calves, oil or grain were hardly the most important thing in the Jews’ relationship with God. I’m not sure God is all that impressed today when we “sacrifice” (often reluctantly) our time, talents or money to the church today. There is only one sacrifice He really wants at His altar: a living sacrifice of our hearts, souls and minds.

Your mortals, the Lord has told you what is good. This is what the Lord requires from you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to live humbly with your God. [Micah 6:8 (GW)]

So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. [Romans 12:1a (GW)]

 

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February 27, 2014

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Money & Wealth, Today: Make it Count, Wisdom & Guidance

What Will We Leave?

tombstonesHuman life is as short-lived as grass. It blossoms like a flower in the field. When the wind blows over the flower, it disappears, and there is no longer any sign of it. [Psalm 103:15-16 (GW)]

In reality, all a tombstone marks is a somewhat useless piece of real estate. What will we really leave behind when our days here end? What gift will we bequeath to the living? Lord, help us remember that what really matters won’t be how well we were liked but how much we loved. The number of people we knew won’t be as important as the number of people to whom we offered friendship. The amount of money we had won’t be of consequence, but how much we gave will. The extent of our knowledge will be forgotten, but what we taught will be remembered. What we owned will be of no significance, but how well we shared it will. Our memories will be gone, but others’ memories of us will remain. Guide us, O Lord, in our remaining days.

Epitaph, tombstone inscription in Shrewsbury, England

“For the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake,
Do all the good you can,
To all the people you can,
In all the ways you can,
As long as ever you can.”

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January 26, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Love & Works, Money & Wealth, Trusting God

When Is Enough Enough?

If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion — how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. [1 John 3:17-18 (NLT)]

This is the time of year we start preparing our taxes and adding up what we’ve given to the church and various charities. While we peruse the spread sheet, perhaps we should do some soul searching. What is the definition of “living well”? How much money is “enough”? When does “enough” become “too much”? How much do we need? How much need is there? How much should we give? How much should we keep? These questions don’t just apply to money; they also apply to our time, energy, and skills. Do we have enough to share those assets? These are questions we each have to prayerfully ask the Lord. They are difficult questions; they involve trusting God. Many of us know we have enough for now but wonder if we’ll have enough for whatever the future will bring. How much trust do we have that God will make whatever we have “enough”?

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. [1 Timothy 6:6-8 (NLT)]