So far this year as we’ve looked inward to ponder how God is telling us to use His blessings, we’ve considered how we are stewards of time and talent and stewards of stuff. Now we turn to the subject Jesus talked about more than any other except the Kingdom of God—Money. This powerful resource has the ability to take our hearts with it. As Jesus said in Luke 12:34, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
God wants us to think about how we use all of our money, not just the portion that we give to this congregation to serve God and love our neighbor. How do we make decisions around the subject of money? How do we steward all of our money to make sure our use aligns with our values?
We all have attitudes, behaviors and feelings about money. Please take a few minutes to consider the questions below. The answers will show that experiences and teachings throughout your life influence your decisions now. They reveal your personal money autobiography.
- What is the earliest experience with money that you remember?
- As a child growing up, did you feel rich or poor? Why?
- What was your attitude toward money as a teenager? How was this influenced by peers or siblings?
- How were your attitudes and behaviors about money shaped by your family members?
- What role did money play in your life as a young adult? Were you influenced by spouse or co-workers?
- If you have children, did your relationship with money change when you became a parent?
- What is your happiest memory in connection with money?
- What is your unhappiest memory in connection with money?
- How does your faith guide you in your use of money?
- How do you feel about your present financial situation compared with a past situation?
- Are you generous or stingy with your money? In what ways?
- How do you decide what to give to churches and other nonprofits? Why do you give to these causes?
- What kinds of risks are you willing to take with your money?
- What will you do with your money as you approach the end of this life?
Hopefully, the questions above have revealed some insights about how you use money. Do your decisions align with your values? Remember, God cares about what we do with 100 percent of the money He has entrusted to our care, not just the fraction that we give to the church.