Christians and money
What does money have to do with our faith journey?
A lot of people don't see money as related to spiritual growth, but it is. In our culture money and the things it buys are very important.
We evaluate ourselves and each other based on how much money we make.
We consider people with a lot of money successful.
Most of us spend the majority of our time either making money or spending it.
Money is a major part of our lives.
Anything this important is related to our spiritual lives.
Jesus tells us that the most important thing is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength." (Matthew 22:37)
If we love God in this all-encompassing way, every part of our lives is caught up in that love.
It affects not only what we do on Sunday morning but how we live during the week, what choices we make about every aspect of our lives, and what we do with our money.
As we grow in love with God, we focus less on material wealth as a measure of our success, and money becomes less important.
We give to others and to the church as an expression of gratitude for God's love and out of the joy of serving God and others. Giving in response to God's love is truly a joy, so go ahead - experience God's love, return it, and enjoy yourselves!