A HEART DIVIDED

How are you feeling about what God is saying through His Word about our desire for wealth? Honestly, it’s pretty confronting, isn’t it? His solution is radical – giving to support His work in a way that’s going to cost us something.

King David knew what this meant. When he was repenting from a terrible sin, he went to make a burnt offering to God. The owner of the place offered to give him the animals that David was going to sacrifice, free of charge.

But David refused. “No, but I will buy them from you for a price; I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing...” (2 Samuel 24:24 NRSV, emphasis mine).

David knew that a sacrifice to God had to cost him something. A sacrifice is not a sacrifice if it costs you nothing. And that’s the place we need to come to.

Yet it’s not easy to get there. The tension between the things in life that really matter and the hollow promises of money and wealth can really divide your heart.

Any team that’s fighting within itself simply can’t win, whether it’s a football team or a political party. Division and disagreement tear a team apart. 

And a divided heart is worse than a divided football team. 

In the Bible, the Apostle Paul says in Romans 7: I’m torn with following after my desires against God’s will. And that situation can’t go on.

Remember it’s not money itself that’s at fault here, but our love of money…

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains” (1 Timothy 6:10 NRSVA).

The truth is, the things money can buy, in the end, don’t make you happy. The best things in life – God, people you love, serving the Lord and seeing lives change – are the only things that really matter… and money can’t buy any of them. 

So, what’s going on in your life, in your heart, with money? Take a moment to examine your heart today, and be really honest with yourself.

Why do so many people struggle with money in their lives? Because they have a heart that’s divided against itself, between God and wealth. And that’s no way to live. 

LIFE APPLICATION QUESTIONS 

1. Have you made sacrifices to God as King David did, sacrifices that really cost you something? How did you feel about it before you gave? How did you feel about it afterward? 
2. Think about some of the sacrifices to God that you’ve made. Have you seen God use your sacrifice to bless others? What was the result?
3. What are the things in your life that really mean the most? Take some time to pray and then write them down. Which things on your list did money buy? Which did God give you?
4. Spend some time in prayer: Dear Lord, fill me more and more with Your Holy Spirit power, guide me in wisdom and in love, set me free from the dominion of mammon over my life, to live and to be and to sacrifice for You, for Your glory, in Jesus’ mighty name I pray. Amen!