GOD WANTS YOUR HEART

Money is a personal – and touchy – subject. Yet it’s one topic that God cares about intimately. 

I used to wonder why God talked so much about money. It was easy to imagine that the Bible was written by self-serving religious people who just wanted to get their hands on my hard-earned cash. 

I don’t feel that way anymore. But I still sometimes get asked… 

If Christianityworks is a faith-based ministry, why did you send me a letter asking for money? Why don’t you just rely on your God? 

Good question! To answer it, let’s travel back in time, shall we? Right back to when God commanded Moses to build the very first tabernacle…

“The Lord said to Moses: Tell the Israelites to take for me an offering; from all whose hearts prompt them to give you shall receive the offering for me. This is the offering that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze… And have them make me a sanctuary, so that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:1–8 NRSV).

Please note God’s approach. He didn’t whip expensive items up out of nothing. No! He commanded Moses to ask His people to give. Not to twist their arms, or shame them, but to “ask all those whose hearts were prompted to give”. 

It seems that faith and engaging God’s people in giving are intimately connected. Why is that? If God doesn’t need our money – and He doesn’t – why involve people in funding His work? 

The reason is that He wants our hearts to be changed. God knows our hearts are attached to our wallets. That’s why Jesus said:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also… You cannot serve God and wealth [mammon]” (Matthew 6:19–21,24 NRSV).

If we hang on to our money, we’ll end up serving the false god of wealth. But if, on the other hand, we invest in the Kingdom of God, then our trust will be in Him for His provision. 

Here’s the bottom line: God doesn’t want your money. He wants your heart. All of your heart, including that part that may, right now, be held captive by worldly wealth.

LIFE APPLICATION QUESTIONS 

1. How much of your “day dreaming” – the use of your imagination to visualise the future that you desire for yourself – is spent dreaming about having more money? 
2. What do you think this reveals about your attitude towards money and the desire for wealth? How does your desire for wealth affect your attitude toward giving to support God’s work here on this earth?
3. Take a moment to read Paul’s fundraising letter in 2 Corinthians 8:1–15. What do you think God was saying to the Corinthians through Paul? What is He saying to you right now?
4. Being completely honest with yourself: Is your whole heart surrendered to God, or does mammon, the god of wealth, still reign over a part of your heart? .

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