52 Men of the Bible - The StudiesSample

# 45\. The Rich Yuppie ## Explore When we really push out the boundaries on our attitudes of heart towards ‘material stuff’ it will be like dynamite in our hands. Generous we are with our money, but also our time and energy too. Idea 1: Money The rich bloke in the story went away disappointed, the one thing he wrestled to surrender to be a disciple was his money. Maybe you too have wrestled a bit with that, I think I have, even though I haven’t got thousands, scaled down it’s the same problem. When we step out in generosity without expecting anything in return the results can be incredible. Maybe you have given and seen and heard some amazing stories of how lives have been blessed, including yours! Or, maybe like me you have been in the place of getting blessed by others in incredible ways and really not knowing how to thank them. What is your approach to holding your money lightly when it comes to your faith and money? Idea 2: Time Often when I talk about seeking first the kingdom of God and tithing, it’s got a clear money attachment, but what about tithing your time? I have seen loads of people give so much of their time to volunteer for church schemes, projects and social work and it has been incredible. In parallel to money, our time is such a valuable resource that can also be just as challenging to give and let God use for the good of others. Like money too, it can be consumed and used on your own requirements so that there really isn’t much left to offer once you’ve taken all you and your family need. How can you use time in this sort of way, to help others and bless others around you? Idea 3: Relationship I wanted to put this one here because it is slightly different from the others. In relationship there is some money that might get spent, certainly some time, but there is also a deep commitment, accountability and bond that will cost you in other ways. When I wrote the book ‘Iron Men’ I had a real burden about mentoring and how this creative and dynamic relationship like a father and son can invest in the lives of others in some incredible ways for the kingdom. This stuff takes effort and requires a degree of intentionality on both sides, but so worth it! What does this look like for you? Are you being mentored as a Christian? Do you mentor anyone else? How does it work? ## Action If some of this stirred some ideas that need to be actioned, find a way of getting this stuff moving. Spend some time praying it over and seeing if God directs things at this stage.