Proverbs 3:9, 10 “(9) Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; (10) so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”
Honoring God means that we value Him above anyone or anything. It means that we have decided to put our trust in Him instead of relying upon our own ability and strength. It’s about yielding control of our lives to His lordship. When we are surrendered to God, we trust God with all that we are, all we can do, and all that we possess.
If we aren’t living a surrendered life to God, then we are attempting to live self-sufficiently. Money is a only a tool that we use. We’re either using it in surrender to the Lord or we’re using it to control our own lives. How we pursue and handle our money indicates where our heart is – if Jesus is really our Lord or not.
Matthew 6;19-21 says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; (20) but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do no break in and steal. (21) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
We are to seek God for what He wants for career and how we handle our business. In James 4:13-17 we see that the pursuit of business should be done in surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ, not in our own pride and strength. Instead of making our own plans, we should be asking God what He wants with our business and our lives. When we do, we can know God, and we can know the blessings of God.
God wants us to look to Him for help in spending the money He has provided. We’re stewards of what He has given us, and He will help us to make decisions on where that money goes.
God also wants us to demonstrate our trust and our honor to Him with our giving. When we tithe, we honor God with the first from what we earn or receive. We can give offerings to meet the needs of the church and help expand the kingdom. We can give to missionaries and other ministries. We can also give to the poor or to meet a special need. When we give, we are allowing God to have access as our Lord to perfrom financial miracles in us and through us!
Application: Here’s an idea. In your monthly budget, set aside a cash amount to give away to someone in need. Keep it with you until the Lord shows you who to give it to.