Stewardship - Our Material Possessions

Stewardship - Our Material Possessions

September 25, 2014 at 7:31am

Fact number one: Everything begins with God. God owns everything. And He gives us the strength to work and make a living. Those who say, “It is all my own hard work,” forget a vital truth, which is that it was God alone who enabled them to earn what they did.

Fact number two: God takes first place in all we have and do, including our use of money. Before you spend any part of your money, make sure you have set aside your tithes and offerings. Then spend the rest responsibly, always aware that stewardship extends to the use of whatever money you have been entrusted with.

Fact number three: God expects His people to return to Him at least 10 percent of their wealth. That was the rule in the Old Testament, and that principle has never been rescinded. In Old Testament times the tithes were received by the priests and used for the support of the sanctuary services. Likewise, today our tithes are received and used for financing the worldwide gospel commission that God has entrusted to His church.

Fact number four: The more we give, the more we are blessed. Try it, and you’ll see for yourself the truth of the words that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35, NIV). Don’t, however, get the idea, often propounded, that these blessings are necessarily temporal or financial! If we look at giving tithes and offerings as a get-rich-quick scheme, our problems are far deeper than a stewardship issue!