Financial Discipleship - the Bible on CounselSample

George Washington Decision?

Many people only consult George before making a decision . . . George Washington that is! You know, our first president whose likeness is on every one-dollar bill. People often make their decisions solely based on financial considerations, not what the Lord is saying to them through His Spirit and His Word.

Compare how these men responded to Jesus’ invitation to follow Him.

• "Jesus saw two brothers, Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him” (Matthew 4:18-20).
• “Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow Me,’ He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him” (Matthew 9:9).
• “Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven. Then, come, follow Me.’ When the young man heard this, he went away sad because he had great wealth” (Matthew 19:21-22).

Peter, Andrew, and Matthew left their businesses and their only source of income to follow Jesus. On the other hand, the Rich Young Ruler was unwilling to give away everything to follow Christ. He made his decision based on what George (or rather, Caesar) was telling him. He was unable to shift his trust from his stuff to the invisible living God to provide. The Bible says that he went away sad. Think about this: this young man had the opportunity to walk with the Son of God and experience a deeper joy and more meaningful life than he could even imagine. But he listened to George rather than God.

We should factor finances into our decisions, but ultimately the Lord wants our relationship with Him to guide our choices.

In Christ,

Howard

(excerpt taken from Compass Blog, George Washington Decisions?, Howard Dayton, November 2021)