Managing Wealth

In the last reading, we saw that wealth comes from God, belongs to God and we are to glorify Him in all that we do–even with our wealth. But how to do that?

The starting point for managing our wealth comes from Jesus Himself when He tells us not to worry:

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33

Jesus gave this instruction as part of his teaching on worry, telling us not to worry even about the basics like food and clothing. But the same teaching applies to those of us who are tasked with managing wealth, for ourselves or–perhaps even more worrisome–for others.

Wealth management brings a broad range of concerns including:

• How do I minimize risk?
• How to I secure a good return?
• How will I meet my long-term goals?

Even here, the teaching of Jesus applies–seek first God’s Kingdom and God’s righteousness, and then the rest will fall into place.

But what is God’s kingdom, and how do we seek that with wealth?

God’s kingdom is not some far-away idea that only finds its form at Jesus’ second coming! No, God’s kingdom was already introduced by Jesus when He walked the earth 2,000 years ago! Check these verses:

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” – Mark 1:15

“The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” – Luke 7:22b

Jesus makes it clear that the kingdom of God is not a distant event, but it has already come near through His arrival on earth. People are being healed; the good news is being proclaimed.

Jesus goes on to clarify His kingdom message to the local business and religious leaders, saying:

“The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” – Luke 17:20b-21

With Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, the Kingdom has indeed been brought to earth. It may just be a seed today, but it has arrived! As Jesus explained in His parables, the kingdom within us is like a mustard seed that grows into a large tree or yeast that leavens the whole batch of dough.

An integral component of wealth management is, therefore, how we deploy our wealth for the building of God’s kingdom. In the next readings, we will see what that means.