Restart: Compassion and JusticeSample

CASH There are many passages in the Bible on money. Let’s face it: many people have a strong interest in the subject. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus cautioned his listeners against being slaves of money. This caution has great relevance today. Many of us live divided lives. We are wage slaves, worshipers at the shrine of wealth, dreaming of lottery-sized windfalls, buying stuff we don’t need with money we don’t actually have. The Bible is realistic. We need money to live. People need to earn a living. There’s a difference between working for a living and living to work. There’s a difference between earning money and worshiping it. Billions of people survive on less than two dollars per day. It’s vital, therefore, that we work out how much is “enough.” Our heart should be with God, not in the shop window, the savings account, or the investment portfolio. After all, Jesus reminds us that we can take nothing with us when we die, but we can store up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19–21). We need to master money before it masters us. Why do you think money is such a popular subject in the Bible? What are your views on money? How do your spending habits show your view of money? Check out Psalm 119:36; Matthew 6:24–33; Luke 16:10–12. Take time to pray about your finances and your view of money. Does it have mastery over you or do you have mastery over it? Pray: Lord, you give yourself to me freely so that I can experience the richness of your love forever. Help me to serve you with humbleness and gratitude.