April 7, 2017
Lenten Devotions – Love or Hate Your Money?

“Throughout the Bible, faithful giving does not bind God. Instead, the opposite is the case. Giving is meant to be a primary sign of a people who are living under God’s gracious sovereignty. Throughout the New Testament, one can find examples of the principle that the motivation of the giver are as important, if not more so, than the gift itself. Giving is motivated … by gratitude for what one has already received. The primary reason for giving is gratitude for the bounty which one has already received.

Paul said the love of money is but the beginning, or the root, of many kinds of evil. The lives of those who love money are characterized by greed, hoarding, and abasement. They have accumulated thousands, or even millions, and the loss of even a few dollars is traumatic. Many people love their money so much they will not part with it – to give to God’s work or even to their own children. – Larry Burkett” (Lenten Devotional Stewardship Principles, We walk together as stewards in God’s church, ELCA, 2012, March 30)

“Teach and urge these duties. Whoever teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that is in accordance with godliness, is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words. From these come envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions, and wrangling among those who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.” 1 Timothy 6:2-10

Do you have a love/hate relationship with money? I do. I hate the feelings that dwell within me about this relationship with money. Being a pastor I see all sides of this coin – and there are more than just two sides. I observe people who struggle with every day and the need for money. Having enough money, the need or the thought of this need, never leaves their minds. And then I meet with people who have so much money, and their lives are a monument to the amount of money they have had to spend, whether they realize that reality of not. Then I meet with someone who has only a little amount of money, and the generosity that wells up in their lives is overwhelming. Yes, money is needed – we cannot live with it sometimes, and we cannot live without it. We just cannot allow money to lead us away from our faith or our pursuit of faithful living.

This week collect one roll of paper towel to bring in for Trinity’s Table.

Pastor Dave