‘Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.’ Matthew 6:21(NLT)
‘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(NLT)
‘Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! ‘ Ecclesiastes 5:10(NLT)
Devotional
Today let’s look at a topic that usually makes the top two or three of every list about problems in marriage. Money. My take is that money, in and of itself, is not bad. The problems come with how we look at money. Do we see it as a tool that God provides to help us meet our needs and some wants and desires? Or is it a god that we elevate above everything else in our lives?
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:24 that we “can’t worship God and money.” When we elevate money above its rightful place, money becomes an idol called mammon. Most of us would say that it would never be a god in our lives, but the step between money and mammon can be a small one, especially in a culture that is very money- driven. This is what Nancy and I have learned that has helped us keep the money issue under control. We see that God owns all we have. He is the owner and He entrusts us to manage it.
That perspective was a game changer for us. It helped us commit to tithing. It has strengthened our marriage because we don’t fight over money anymore. We regularly pray over big money decisions. Does that mean that we never struggle with money? No. Can we get caught up in all the things money can buy? Yes. The difference is that we made a commitment to do money God’s way. We are not perfect in this but when we fail we have a reference point to get back to. What about you? Is it money or mammon? Does it control you or do you control it? Can you begin to see that all is God’s with Him as the owner and you as the managers? What is your next step?
Today’s Challenge
If you adopted the concept that God is owner and you are the managers, how would that change the way you handle money in your marriage?
Going Deeper
Begin seeking God’s wisdom with your money and how you use it.
from 14 Keys To Lasting Love by Dr. Kim Kimberling