The Scriptures on Finances - Must give an account to your Master

This week we will continue looking at material from the book “Managing God’s Money” by Randy Alcorn.

Mark 12:41-44 “Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, bus she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”

I find it interesting that Jesus is watching our giving. We know that God sees everything and knows everything. Jesus did not congratulate the rich people who put large amounts into the collection box. He made a huge point, however, of telling His disciples that the poor widow gave more than all of the others. He did this because the rich people gave a tiny part of their surplus or excess but the poor widow gave everything she had to live on.

The poor widow was a radical giver. I don’t know why she gave everything but God does. I believe that she was trusting God to meet her needs. She put God first in her finances and Jesus took notice of her actions. Faith without works is dead. This poor widow is a famous unnamed character in the Bible. Others gave tremendous gifts in the Bible but this poor widow gave all that she had to live on.

In thinking of this poor widow’s giving I am challenged to look at the cost of the gift to the giver. Percentage wise this poor widow gave one hundred percent of her assets. When I give, I still have something left over. I have a house, a car, stuff, and money. There is nothing inherently wrong with money or goods but I need to remember that I can’t serve God and money.

Learning to see the ideal and live in the real was a theme of Derek Prince’s teaching when he taught on maturity. Being a mature Christian will mean that I have to work to find the balance in my life and the level of provision that God has for me. As a steward, I am responsible to my Master to give an account for how I manage His money and His possessions.

Some people may believe that material possessions and money are bad while others may believe that all of us should be amazingly wealthy. The truth for most of us is probably somewhere in the middle of these extremes.

We certainly need to provide for our families. What that level of provision is may be the subject of much discussion. We are blessed to be a blessing.

Our beliefs about money may often be opposed to God’s. How we handle money may be a fairly accurate evaluation of our spiritual lives.

Romans 14:12 states, “Each of us will give a personal account to God.” What has our handling of money and possessions accomplished in view of eternity?

We may get upset when an unexpected expense arises. God is not surprised by the sudden expense.

Randy Alcorn told the story of a distraught man who frantically rode his horse up to John Wesley shouting, “Mr. Wesley, Mr. Wesley, something terrible has happened! Your house has burned to the ground!” Weighing the news for the moment, Wesley replied, “No. The Lord’s house burned to the ground. That means one less responsibility for me.”

It appears to me that John Wesley understood Who owns everything and the stewardship principle taught in the Bible.

We may get excited when an unexpected blessing comes our way. Perhaps we should look at a gift of money both as a potential blessing and as a possible test.

Next week we will look at a rich man who had a fertile farm. May God bless you big.

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This is the 19th column in a series by Kevin Barsotti, pastor at Ark Church in Havre, about financial matters and their treatment in the Christian faith.