“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Matthew 6: 24 NKJV
Welcome to the 37th weekly devotional recap of the year. This week, we learned about financial wisdom, that money matters, and to be good stewards who sponsor the gospel with our finances and shun greed.
We started the week on Monday with a charge to sponsor the message. Every agenda, including the Gospel, requires wealth and influence to succeed (Luke 8:3). Wealth and influence play a role in fulfilling prophecies and manifesting God’s plan (Matthew 27: 57-60). As believers, we must embrace the reality of the need for wealth and shun small-mindedness.
On Tuesday, we learned that money matters. Money helps us meet our needs. However, the love of money is the root of all evil. Money is a servant, not a master we should love or worship(Matthew 6: 24).
Money will always try to compete for the place of God in our hearts. It is important to put money in its place as it is a spiritual stethoscope that reveals the state of our hearts (Matthew 19: 21). Your priorities should clearly show that you put God and His Kingdom over Money.
Wednesday’s topic, ‘No Greed,’ taught us to guide our hearts against all forms of greed. Greed is wanting anything good for yourself at the expense of and to the detriment of others. Greed leads to a lack of discernment, a strained devotional life, dissatisfaction, and loss of favour from God and men. To combat greed, we must intentionally give regularly and sacrificially as the Holy Spirit leads.
Thursday’s devotional enlightened us on financial wisdom. Money management is something that everyone, including believers, must master. God is fully involved in our finances (Proverbs 8: 18), so we should apply Godly principles to finances. Some of these principles include hard work (Proverbs 22: 29), saving, budgeting, delayed gratification (Proverbs 21: 20) and generosity (Acts 20: 35). Do well to plan your finances on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis.
We rounded up the week on Friday by learning to be good stewards of God’s grace (1 Peter 4: 10). A steward takes care of a home and does the master’s will (Luke 12: 42-44). As believers, our assignments as stewards lie in evangelism and in giving. We must steward our finances carefully, putting our money where our faith is and using it to further the gospel.
According to our anchor scripture, if you love God, your finances will show it. So, today, endeavour to be good stewards and put your money where your faith is by partnering financially with your local assembly for the spread of the gospel.
Have a great weekend!
Bible Reading Plan: 2 Kings 9-11