Living "rich" toward God
How does your financial planning reflect a heart that treasures God’s Kingdom?
Faith and Finance
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“Sell your possessions and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:33-34 NRSV).
Jesus’ command follows a story about a farmer who has an abundant harvest. The farmer wanted to tear down his old barns and build bigger ones to store his bounty, so he could relax, eat, drink, and be merry (12:19 NRSV). Jesus rebukes the man’s action, asking the farmer to consider who will inherit his wealth since he will die that very day.
Parables like this often lead people to think that saving for the future violates our trust in God. It is necessary, however, to pay attention to the rebuke Jesus gave. “So it will be with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” (12:21 NRSV).
Jesus doesn’t reject barns or saving for the future. In fact, God inspired Joseph to enact that very plan to save the world from famine in Genesis 41. Jesus criticizes the farmer for putting his material comfort first and not living “rich toward God.”
Instead of thinking about financial planning, investments, or retirement accounts as a violation of trust in God, we should be asking: How is my financial planning “rich toward God?” How does my financial planning reflect a heart that treasures God’s Kingdom and not my kingdom?
These questions encourage us to place our ultimate trust in God and prompt us to invest our abundance now in vehicles to fund his Kingdom work today and provide for our future needs.
Jesus’ command follows a story about a farmer who has an abundant harvest. The farmer wanted to tear down his old barns and build bigger ones to store his bounty, so he could relax, eat, drink, and be merry (12:19 NRSV). Jesus rebukes the man’s action, asking the farmer to consider who will inherit his wealth since he will die that very day.
Parables like this often lead people to think that saving for the future violates our trust in God. It is necessary, however, to pay attention to the rebuke Jesus gave. “So it will be with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” (12:21 NRSV).
Jesus doesn’t reject barns or saving for the future. In fact, God inspired Joseph to enact that very plan to save the world from famine in Genesis 41. Jesus criticizes the farmer for putting his material comfort first and not living “rich toward God.”
Instead of thinking about financial planning, investments, or retirement accounts as a violation of trust in God, we should be asking: How is my financial planning “rich toward God?” How does my financial planning reflect a heart that treasures God’s Kingdom and not my kingdom?
These questions encourage us to place our ultimate trust in God and prompt us to invest our abundance now in vehicles to fund his Kingdom work today and provide for our future needs.