As christians living in the most prosperous country on earth, my wife and I occasionally wrestle with the question of whether or not to spend our family’s financial resources on temporary comforts, or invest in kingdom treasures.

Recently, a co-worker drove me to lunch in his new BMW. In my heart, I found myself saying “Why shouldn’t I get a car like this?”. It has led to some recent discontentment in my heart and has forced me to give this question some deeper thought. I am hoping my observations and notes will help and challenge you as much as it has me. Feel free to contribute your thoughts to this question as well.

There were many Godly men in the bible that were very wealthy – take Solomon and David for instance. Two great men of the bible who were blessed financially and yet still loved God very much. But as I considered them further I realized how their money and power had over time corrupted their hearts, and eventually became a snare for them. For David, his riches and leisurely lifestyle led to arrogance and laziness. Perhaps if David would have been out with his army and not lounging around on his rooftop, he would have never seen Bathsheba bathing; or committed adultry with her and murdered Uriah.

Solomon was the richest and most powerful man that ever lived. However, in his discontentment and arrogance, Solomon sinned by taking hundreds of wives who over time ultimately led his heart away from God and into the worship of foreign Gods. This sin eventually cost him his kingdom and crippled his relationship with God.

Job was another man of God that was very wealthy, but I see him as a good example for me to follow. He was said to be blameless, upright, and the greatest of all the people of the east. He had very many servants and over 10,000 head of livestock. But we also know from the amazing description found in Job 29 that he gave to and cared for the poor, the orphan and the widow in a powerful way. 29:15-16 says Job was also eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. He was a father to the needy and searched out the cause of him whom he did not know.

As I read about Job, It becomes clear that his great reputation as a man of God went beyond a mere wealthy man who gave his 10% to God. If this were the case, I doubt Job would have had the reputation he did. Rather, it appears that Job was known far and wide as a righteous man of God who was very wise and very quick to give away what he had to those in need. To me, this speaks of a man who gave sacrificially to others. Sacrificially; meaning that although he was very rich, I believe he remained humble and still lived well within his means, which allowed him to give generously and help others who were in need. And it appears he probably did so quietly – without seeking the public praise of men.

It made him different than other wealthy men who look for praise from others for their giving. Take for instance Bill Gates, the CEO of Microsoft. Here is a man who has more money than most people could even dream of. God allowed Bill to grow his fortune and become one of the richest men in the world. Now he has so much money he doesn’t know what to do with it. In fact, he has found a greater celebrity status and society acceptance through giving his money away through the Bill Gates foundation than he has in being the CEO of Microsoft. But, unlike Job, Bill is very public about how he gives, and he does not give with the intention of glorifying God. Rather, he does it for his own glory.

Although Job was a righteous, humble man that gave sacrificially and used his finances for pursuing God and caring for his family; he was very much like David and Solomon – a sinner. During God’s testing of Job this reality finally came out. For Job, he believed he was righteous and didn’t deserve the wrath of God. And in arrogance, Job questioned how God could cause him to suffer when he had lived a righteous life.

For me – a wretched sinner like Job, Solomon and David – it is not so much about whether we were blessed or not blessed with an abundance of money. The question is how am I using the money entrusted to me for serving God, serving others, and pointing them to the ultimate treasure – Jesus Christ.

As a Christian, I am frequently reminded that I am a bond servant of the king of kings. God puts money into my hands to invest it wisely for fulfilling my responsibilities to Him in the following ways:

  1. Love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength:
    This requires me to use God’s financial gifts to me for loving Him, pursuing Him, obeying His commands, displaying His greatness, and fulfilling the great commission He gave me to spread the gospel to every nation, tribe and tongue.
  2. Love my neighbor as myself:
    First, this requires me to use God’s financial gifts for caring for the daily physical and emotional needs of my wife and children; and to teach, train and lead them in the paths of righteousness.
    Second, financially equip myself, my wife and children for ministering and caring for the physical and emotional needs of our neighbors – in hope of sharing the gospel.

In both points, I believe the purpose of our finances is to display Jesus Christ as a greater eternal treasure than the temporary stuff of this world. When we invest in the works of God and growing His kingdom instead of buying stuff, the world can’t help but ask “why?”. And that question becomes a wonderful opportunity to share the good news of the gospel.

Heart Diagnostic Questions:

  1. Am I finding a greater joy in receiving praise for the stuff I own than for the God I serve?
  2. Am I delighting more in pursuing earthly stuff then I am pursuing God?
  3. Am I spending most of our money on “needs” or “wants”? A “want” is something that will make me feel more impressive or more comfortable (i.e. a car with a fancier name or a faster engine that you will rarely use). A “need” is something that I know will be sufficient to fullfill a responsibility or task for my God, my family, my work or my neighbor (i.e. a reliable car that is safe for my family and won’t break down frequently).
  4. Am I giving sacrificially to show my love for God and for my neighbor, or do I only give what is left over after I get the stuff I want (i.e. I gave sacrificially to a ministry instead of getting a fancier car with a faster engine)?
  5. Am I content with what I have and am I praising God for it?
  6. Am I teaching my children that loving God and loving others is of more eternal value than accumulating temporary stuff that will burn?
  7. Do I believe that the investment of finances in spreading the gospel and awakening souls to God (i.e. storing up kingdom treasures) is of greater value than stockpiling stuff on earth that will burn when I die?
  8. Does the delight of knowing that I am storing up kingdom treasures for God outweigh my desires for accumulating more stuff on earth?
  9. Does the stuff I own draw my heart (and that of my family) closer to God or further from God?
  10. When people observe my lifestyle and learn of the financial blessings I have received, will they glorify God or me?

So, when I am tempted to buy that new BMW, I must remind myself that I am not a citizen of this world – but a servant. I must also remember that when God gives us the ability to live like the rich and powerful of this world and we instead invest our abundance in spreading the gospel and serving others, the value of Jesus Christ and the gospel is gloriously displayed. This doesn’t mean as Christians we can’t enjoy some creature comforts from time to time. But my prayer for our family and for you is that the surpassing value and beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ will always be brightly displayed in our lives and never be buried under all of our stuff.