For many people, stewardship can feel like a part of discipleship that they never got around to. If you feel guilty about your giving, your wallet isn’t the first place to start though. Paul gives four corrections that can help.
The idea that God gives a formula for making people rich sounds attractive but is dangerous. An examination of a key passage that prosperity teachers misuse reveals God’s heart to change our attitude toward money and build our faith and contentment.
When it comes to money, we often fixate on more. The Israelites weren’t all that much different, but God worked to turn Israel into a generous nation. Consider how He shaped their lives and what it might reveal about how He might transform us today.
As you read the Old Testament, it’s clear that giving God tithes, or the first 10% of your income, is a big thing. It’s modeled by people like Abraham (Genesis 14:17-20) and Jacob (Genesis 28:20-22) even before the law was introduced. It’s commanded in the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 27:30). And when people neglect tithing, God equates it with robbing Him (Malachi 3:8). In the New Testament, it doesn’t seem to be mentioned as much. Understanding why helps us see how God’s vision for our finances has been transformed by Jesus.
Statistics say that the average Canadian has $22,000 of non-mortgage debt and the average millennial spends more money on gourmet coffee than on saving for retirement. Something is wrong. The 3000-year-old Book of Proverbs, written by Israel’s King Solomon, contains financial wisdom from another era, but its principles are as relevant today as when he wrote them. Three lessons stand out.
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