Little Guide to Money - An Adventure of Trust
Money can feel deeply practical. We need it to pay rent or mortgages, buy food, put petrol in the car, care for children, save for the future and navigate the unexpected things life throws at us. For some people there never seems to be enough of it. For others there’s more than enough, but with that can come a different set of pressures and anxieties.
Jesus knew that money has a way of getting to the heart of what we trust. It sharpens things. It reveals things. It shows us what we really believe about security, control and provision.
That’s why Jesus spoke about money so often. He said:
Seek first my Kingdom and my righteousness and everything you need will be provided for you.
Matthew 6.33
Following Jesus means giving everything we are and have to Him. That includes our finances. As we put His Kingdom first and trust Him with our money, we often discover that money becomes one of the clearest places where our faith grows.
One writer described money as “a constant dose of reality.” When finances tighten, or when we have to make costly decisions, we quickly discover what we really believe. Do we believe we are on our own? Or do we believe that God is with us and will care for us as we obey Him?
That doesn’t mean Christians never think about money or plan wisely. We do. But we don’t want money to rule our lives, nor fear to shape our decisions. We want Jesus to lead us.
George Muller was an ordinary man who chose to live this way in Bristol in the 1830s. God led him to build homes for orphans. Over his lifetime he received the equivalent of around £86 million in today’s money to build and run those homes, yet he famously never asked anyone for money. He simply prayed, trusted God and obeyed what he felt God was asking him to do. He cared for over 10,000 orphans in his lifetime.
What an adventure. He was a normal person. He simply put God’s Kingdom first and trusted Him.
For most of us the story probably won’t look quite so dramatic day-to-day. But each day is made up of small decisions about how we use money and at certain times in our lives we make bigger financial decisions that will have a bigger impact. These are all opportunities to walk closely with Jesus and discover the joy and freedom of trusting God.
Two important areas of money relevant to us all as a church are tithing and giving.
Tithing
In the Old Testament God told the people of Israel to set aside 10% of their income to pay for the running of the temple and those who worked there. God said He would provide abundantly for everyone if they ‘tithed’ in this way.
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!
Malachi 3.10
We no longer have a temple as Israel did. God now lives inside us, His followers, instead. Tithing is not commanded as explicitly in the New Testament as it is in the Old (the challenge Jesus gives is actually bigger than that!). We do though encourage the practice of giving 10% of our income to pay for the running of the church and to provide an income for those who train and equip the church as their full-time occupation. Please be aware this is an entirely free choice and the amounts people give are kept highly confidential.
For many Christians, tithing becomes one of the clearest ways we learn to trust God. It can feel exposing at first, especially when money is tight. But that’s partly the point. Money has a way of revealing where our security really lies.
When we tithe we are saying: “God, my security is not ultimately in this money. It’s in You.”
Many Christians can tell stories of God’s faithfulness as they’ve chosen to honour Him with their finances.
Esther, a member of Hope, went to Bible College and was in debt. She realised that God guides us in how to use our money and began to ask Him to help her manage her finances. She began to tithe.
Shortly afterwards someone came up to her and gave her a cheque equal to her debt, saying they felt God had told them to give it to her.
Esther has continued to tithe and ask God how to use her finances. There have been times when money has been scarcer and times when it’s been more plentiful, but she says God has always provided for her as she’s trusted Him and tried to live by His principles.
Giving
Generosity is encouraged in the bible, especially to the poor. Jesus treats gifts to those in need as if they are gifts directly to Him.
“Then the King will say to those on his right ‘I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink... I was naked, and you gave me clothing...
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we do these things for you?’
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
Matthew 25.34-40 (paraphrased)
Again, generous giving is part of following Jesus. We give from what we have (not from what we don’t have!) as an act of worship, out of compassion, and because we trust that Jesus will look after us. Generosity loosens money’s grip on our hearts. It reminds us that everything we have ultimately comes from God and belongs to Him anyway. It helps us resist the fear and self-protection that money can so easily create in us.
George Muller lived generously for his whole life. He discovered that he could never out-give God.
A life fully given to Jesus — listening to His leading and obeying Him — is actually a very safe and fruitful life. It’s a joyful one too.
Further Reading
Daring to Live on the Edge by Loren Cunningham is a brilliant book on trusting God with every area of life, especially money.
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer is not specifically about money but it scratches a similar itch and goes into similar roots and inspiration for how we build our lives.
More Bible Passages on Money
“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” Luke 6.38
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew 6.19-21
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6.31-33
Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6.17
“But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” Matthew 6.3-4
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6.24
Give in proportion to what you have.... And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have. 13 Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves, only that there should be some equality. 2 Corinthians 8.11-13