Here’s a true story: A Christian businessman was having a good year. He needed a new car, so he bought a beautiful four-wheel-drive sports utility vehicle. It was rather expensive, but he could afford it. He bought it on a Saturday. On Sunday, he pulled into the church lot and was filled with anxiety over the price of his new vehicle.
Sunday afternoon, he returned it and purchased a small, sensible car in its place. A few days later, the church pastor called. It was snowing very hard. The church ladies had prepared hot meals for infirmed people around the city, but they were having trouble delivering them. Did the businessman know anyone with a large four-wheel-drive vehicle who could help?
Do you think God wanted this man to have that nice SUV? He was probably okay with it. After all, owning money is not a sin on its own. It is fine to have a nice home, good clothes or a great car if you can afford it. “Oh!” you say, “But money is the root of all evil!”
No; it’s not. The LOVE of money is the root of all evil (1 Tim 6:7-10). In other words, if we become enamored of money and nice things, then we are offending God. People who cry with happiness after spending all night on line and handing over a week’s salary to pay for the latest I-phone may cross that line. We can’t have two masters. If we are a slave to earthly possessions, we cannot devote sufficient obedience to the Lord. (Matt 6:14).
Of course, the Bible also tells us to share our wealth with the poor (Luke 12:33); cheerfully and not because we feel we have to (2 Cor 9:7). Then how is it true that owning money is not a sin on its own? Remember that we are instructed to give our second tunic to someone with none. We still get to keep the first tunic (Luke 3:11).
If our businessman stopped tithing and held back donations to his favorite charity to pay for his new SUV, then he might have been chasing after status at the expense of the poor. On the other hand, if he continued to share his wealth, it is not a sin to maintain some earthly treasure.
Remember that wealth is not ours. Our role is to be good stewards of what God made for us. You may feel you’ve earned your salary, but who gave you the ability to do the work that enabled you to do that job? Everything is the Lord’s and you can’t take it with you (Ecc 5:15).
So if we are to be good stewards and can’t take it with us, how can it be that owning money is not a sin on its own? The best example of a good steward is Joseph. He was put in charge of the centurion’s household and later, all of Egypt. Joseph is generally regarded as one of the most righteous characters in the Bible.
When Joseph’s family found him, was he living in a cave with scraps of cloth as clothes? Joseph enjoyed some fruits of his position. He had a nice home, fine clothes and asked for more favor when he needed it. If his was a modern-day story, Joseph probably would have owned a beautiful, four-wheel-drive sports utility vehicle.
How much is too much is a question you have to work out. The businessman’s SUV was a gift from God that he would have shared willingly if he still had it during the snow. A large house is not a sin if you invite persons of all types to share in its glory. Fine clothes are fun to own, but when you grow tired of them, give them to someone less fortunate. By all means, invest in your children’s health and education so they can be able servants of God some day.
Just don’t forget the poor and the widows. For whatever you do for the least of His brothers and sisters, you do for Jesus. (Matt 25:40) and you will be repaid by Him when the time comes (Rom 2:6).
Please get in touch now and let’s get better at these things together.
