![]() The Lord also commanded them to “subdue the earth,” thereby teaching them that by their labor the earth would yield its produce for them to enjoy (v. After creating human beings, God told them, “I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food” (Gen. Out of His overflowing goodness, God has determined to share the good things of the world with His image bearers. ![]() Since God is the Creator of all, He owns the world and all that is in it (Ps. Scripture reminds us that the triune God is the Creator over all the earth (Gen. Clearly, there are eternal implications for what we do with what God has given us in the present. Jesus taught about money and stewardship more than almost any other subject during His earthly ministry. Scripture calls us to manage our material gifts, as well as our time, to God’s glory. A biblical call to stewardship involves wisely managing the good things God has given us. ![]() The Bible frequently warns against the sin of greed and wastefulness. However, as with everything else in this fallen world we can sinfully misuse money. It also serves as a tool for helping others in their times of need. Money enables people to secure for themselves the necessities and goods of life. Many of the resources He gives us are represented by money, a medium of exchange that allows us to save, invest, and share the goods and services the Lord provides. In so doing, God requires us to make use of His resources in a way that is pleasing to Him. As the Creator of all, He is free to disperse goods in whatever way He wills. Yes, we can spend it a hundred times at Starbucks, or once on a big jewel, or we can do the opposite and horde it in an overstuffed emergency fund.In His goodness, God has chosen to share the good things of creation with mankind. Whether having two bucks in a pocket or $200,000 in an account, God wants us to manage it His way. God and Jesus talk to their flocks about stewardship over our planet, our bodies, our children and, yes, money, among many other important blessings. We just have to decide how to change it.Ī vital part of our relationship with money is acknowledging our role as financial stewards. Money isn’t quite like energy, which can never destroyed, but it can change forms, like energy does. Here’s what I mean: Tips left for the Coney Island waitress turn into her heating bill payment, which converts to a paycheck for the person who processed that heating bill, then turns back into a tip at breakfast out. I view money almost as a liquid … a view that gets easier as we use fewer paper bills and coins. I say this as someone who had a thin checking account for a decade post high school someone who did well initially at her own business, only to see that business implode during the Great Recession, netting almost no paycheck for the last year or so. It can get us stuff, it allows us to help others and, of course, not having it can cause a restrictive lifestyle. But regardless if we get to splurge or need to tighten things for a while, how ever our tax returns pan out, it brings to mind how we view money.Īnd, it’s not just the dollar amount – it’s how we treat those dollars every time we get a few. Money is frequently on our minds whether our checking account is thick or has a balance that makes us nervous at the Costco line. By now, some people have either written a check to the Treasury Department, received a check or, like me, are waiting to find out which way this year will go. ![]() We hope to start seeing a fuller, greener lawn in March, but it’s not the only green thing on our minds. ![]()
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