Thursday, August 2, 2012

Don’t Value What Doesn’t Matter

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. -- Acts 4:32

It’s that time of year again. It’s that time when the finance committee at church starts talking about money, about tithing, about trusting God. Have you tuned out yet? That’s what most people do.

We trust God. We do. We trust Jesus with our salvation. We trust Him to answer our prayers. We plead with Him for healing and blessings. But we don’t tend to trust Him with our finances. That’s off limits. We prefer to keep that to ourselves and decide how we’ll spend it. Or not.

There are few issues as volatile as money or possessions. We don’t want to share. Ask any small child. They’re happy to share -- when they’re done playing with it and when they’re good and ready to share. Not before. Don’t even think about taking it before then.

We adults are no better. We value our possessions and our bank accounts. Some of us are generous, but on our terms and in our timing. We don’t want anyone standing up there and telling us what a blessing it is to give more to the church, to charity, to someone we’re not sure deserves it.

There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. -- Acts 4:34-35

We tend to think of ourselves as superior to others. The more money and possessions we have, the better we feel about ourselves. Do money and possessions make us better people? No. In fact, sometimes just the opposite is true.

We look down on those who have less and that’s just plain wrong. Max Lucado once spoke of a friend in another country. The man works harder, perhaps, Lucado noted, harder than he works. Yet his family lives in a small hut with a dirt floor. It wasn’t about working hard. Or being smart. Or making wise choices. It was about circumstances and a life sometimes determined by where you live more than anything else.

Our hearts grow hard when we think of handouts to the poor. We are conditioned to believe that those in need aren’t worthy to receive our help. We blame them for their circumstances, and sometimes we are right. But God gave us another chance so why do we refuse others the same opportunity?

It all comes back to holding on to that money and those possessions. None of that matters, not in the scope of eternity. I wonder sometimes about those who think it does. It must be exhausting trying to hold on to something that you’re destined to lose sooner or later anyway.