Money makes the world go round. Some will agree and some won't, but we cannot deny the extremely pressing role that money plays in our everyday life. Money is a means of exchanging value that makes it easier for us to get what we need from others in exchange for what others need from us.
Money rules fairness and justice, and—if stewarded well—can really honour God and champion His work here on earth as it is in heaven. But it can also take us the wrong direction if our hearts don't view it in the right way.
One of the best ways to gauge our view of money to see whether we have a right perspective of it is to ask the right questions. Here are four questions to ask to measure our heart as we manage our finances.
1. Do I Honour God With His Money?
Our money is—at the end of the day—God's. James 1:17 reminds us, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."
Because of that, His honour is the ultimate purpose.
It's not that God withholds His money from us. Because He is generous, He desires to bless us with finances and resources, but He asks us only to view and manage them in a way that honours Him.
2. How Do I Maximise My Resources?
Stewardship is simply making the best use of the resources we have at hand. Are we using our money for things that really matter, or are we meeting unnecessary wants at the expense of non-negotiable needs?
Financial stewardship is not just for those who know how to crunch numbers well. It's for all of us. God can and will give us wisdom to handle money or bring to us people who can teach us and help us steward money better.
3. In What Ways Can I Help Others With My Finances?
Luke 6:38 says, "Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."
We can either decide to create giving patterns out of our living or make living patterns out of our giving. Generosity is not just commanded. God empowers all of us to be generous and asks us only to trust that He will enable us financially and character-wise to be more generous.
4. Do I Trust God to Keep Providing Me With More?
Who do you trust more to put food on the table—yourself or God? It's a tricky fine line, but that's why this question is so vital to right thinking. Too often we fall into the trap of trusting in our own efforts instead of trusting in God.
Deuteronomy 8:18 says, "You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day."
Our source is never our job, our parents, our businesses, our investments or our skills. These are just channels. Our ultimate source is God.
