SPIRITUAL GROWTH ENHANCERS
REF NO: 021
COLUMNIST: Rudolf Nii Yemoh Mensah
PRELATE: Oasis Potterlight Chapel International (OPCI)
OPENING PASSAGE: Hebrews 13:5, NIV: "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'"
TOPIC: THE NAME OF THE GAME
BACKGROUND: This passage gives specific instructions on good Christian conduct and portrays how a Christian should behave when it comes to money. It also affirms support from the God we serve in times of crisis, difficulties or hardships.
THE MAIN MESSAGE
This text is one of the scriptural quotations that has mightily suffered the abuse of hermeneutics in terms of transliteration and translation. This is where the lot has the view that the Christian life is a call to poverty and mediocre. This is where the subject of prosperity or the prosperous Christian becomes a grotesque subject.
But is this verse true that Christians should not seek prosperity or become rich by accumulating wealth and properties? Does this call for a low life living or living in poverty and lack for Christ name's sake?
Certainly not! This Scripture is not saying Christians should not make money. The Bible never mentioned that Christians should not make money or make only a little. The Bible never said that money is not good. He said the"LOVE" of it.
There is no subject the Bible does not cover. The Bible holds the answer to all the questions of humanity. The Bible as the authoritative Word of God covers all the subjects of humanity and when it comes to money, this is what it has to say:
1. Money Answers All Things
Ecclesiastes 10:19, KJV: "A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things."
According to Ecclesiastes, Money is the name of the game! Money talks! Yes, of course, it is and it does! But the question is, "does money hold the answer to everything"? I put it to you! Question to answer! Is money everything the way you read it?
Of course, money answers all things, but not everything. In that context money answers "ALL THINGS", but in the same context money does not answer "EVERYTHING"!
Sounds confusing right? I understand that Ecclesiastes 10:19 is widely misunderstood, misquoted and taken out of context with prosperity preachers in the lead.
But let me explain further. Rather than being cynical or critical about wealth or the rich, this comment is to be taken in the context of the dissolute nobles (v. 16) and banqueters (v. 17). Wealth for them is only pleasure and a means of having fun. A critical example is the silly rich man Jesus spoke about in in the Lukan Gospel. What did the rich man say to his soul?
"And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." Luke 12:19
The parable reflects the foolishness of attaching too much importance to wealth and the Lukan account is a direct reflection from Ecclesiastes 10:19.
Furthermore, this is a contextual statement. What Solomon means is that a feast will make you laugh, the wine will make you happy but money can do both - it can make you laugh and also make you happy. So it answers everything within the context of the statement.
For example, money can buy you a house, but cannot buy you a home. Money can buy you a bed, but it cannot buy you sleep. It can buy you a wedding, but not a marriage and medicine but not health. If it could buy health, millionaires and billionaires would not die of illnesses. Money cannot buy you eternal life, deliverance, or peace of mind. Money cannot guarantee the salvation of anyone, neither does it guarantee a reserved space in heaven.
Otherwise, our business tycoons, the big men and politicians would make heaven ahead of us. The rich man would have made heaven in place of poor Lazarus if money buys God's salvation. That is why God has made it free for everyone who believes in the name of His dear Son, Jesus Christ!
In the light of this context, you can come into concord with me that money is not everything, but is the answer to all that pertains to a feast. It can buy the wine and food that is necessary for feasting, but not everything about life. It answers all things about luxuries, organizing big parties, enjoyment or making fun but it has limitations because it does not answer everything in general!
Money can buy you all the luxury cars, mansions, fame, popularity and political power. But it cannot give you peace of mind. Money can buy you all the fresh ladies in the town. Money can buy you all the slay queens and world-class girls in their ages, colours, shapes and country of origin by birth or by migration but not a wife. Money can buy any woman but not the one said of in Proverbs 31:10-12, NLV:
"Who can find a good wife? For she is worth far more than rubies that make one rich. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will never stop getting good things. She does him good and not bad all the days of her life."
Do you see the thing? A good (virtuous, prudent, noble, excellent) wife is even treasured and placed above money in all occasions and every circumstance. Money can buy the mind but can never buy love. This is because love is in the heart.
Are you a woman or a girl reading this article? Aspire to be and become a good wife to your husband or husband to be and the Word of God will place you far more precious above anything money can buy.
“House and wife are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD (Proverbs 19:14).”
"Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God. He is the One Who made all light. He does not change. No shadow is made by His turning." James 1:17, NLV
Money could buy anything but not everything. It is only God who gives the good things in life that money cannot buy. So the wise youth who wishes to marry should pray earnestly for a good wife, and she for a godly husband.
2. The Root Of All Evil
1 Timothy 6:10, KJV: "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
Is this verse saying that money is evil and the root cause of all evil here on earth? You see when it comes to the subject of money-making, many people are often confused and the lazy ones find a reason not to work or pursue anything hard in life. All they believe in is communal living and hand to mouth.
Paul in money context was never saying money is evil or the root of evil. Put him in his context. He said the Love Of It! Seems this is the same orientation he was giving to the Christian community in our opening passage. Let's take that again from the NLT:
"Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, 'I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.'"
So it is biblically okay for every Christian to work for money, make much more money, accumulate wealth and properties. However, this should be done in caution and moderation with a good sense of purpose.
The rule is not to be in haste to make money or eye red for money or become greedy for more money. The rule is to make the most of your time one step at a time and be content with what you have. To be content with what you have is to be satisfied with what you have at the moment because God will provide for what you need in the future.
Money controls the world. Money runs the world and controls worldly people. But money does not control Christians who are truly born again. Christians control the money! When it comes to unbelievers, money runs the show and that means they can do anything by hook or by crook to become rich with money and possessions. But when it comes to believers, they run the show because they know how to make money and how to use that money in a way that glorifies the giver, GOD!
People who love money are those who worship money. They worship money because money controls them. When something controls you, it tells you what to do and you are obliged. That is why the love of money becomes the root of all evil because people whose lives are controlled by money can even kill, lie or do anything to get the money.
Money has a complete influence on the people it controls. That is why they don't mind being engaged in evil practices such as bribery, corruption, internet and cyber fraud, money laundering, fake love and marriage, prostitution, stealing, armed robbery, money rituals and many more to mention.
As Christians, we must be extra careful and vigilant when it comes to the love of money and its related influence. Our minds and hearts should be in control when we see money and want to make money so that it does not move us to a place where we idolize, obsess over, or begin to do dubious and unscriptural things for the love of money.
Cash, Capital, Fortune, Money and wealth, therefore, is important, but must not be worshipped. It is a tool that we are given for the expansion of the Kingdom of God and to meet our needs and that of others, not as something to enslave us. Money should rather be our slave.
I call on every child of God to be circumspect in the subject of money. We should all come to a where we examine our relationship with money. Is money all you think about? Is money all that occupies your thoughts? Does making money interfere with your ability to worship God? Does money keep you away from your normal worship service or does it keep you away from the gathering of the saints? Have you become a slave to money, or are you using money as a tool to build and benefit the Kingdom of God? I implore you to take a moment to pause and meditate on your relationship with money.
The Christian faith is a call to kingdom ministry. It is a beckon to the kingdom-building of heaven on earth. The kingdom work of God is all we are to seek for, to be desired and remain committed to. We should use the money and all that God gives us in promoting the kingdom, impacting lives and winning souls for Christ.
We are to use the money that God gives us to take good care of ourselves, our families, the Lord's Church and others. We are to ensure that our children receive good provisions such as food, shelter, quality education and more. We should be able to do these for the less privileged or those in need where we can be of help.
People whose lives are often controlled by money are often stingy, selfish and much more greedy. They can give but not for free. There is always a bad motive attached. They're like the fishermen who put bread on the hook to entertain a fish in the water. The motive is always not to feed the fish entirely but it catches it and uses it for his gains. Once it can no longer get what it wants from you, it can no longer give you what you want. The service supply is completely and permanently cut!
This is not the ideology of benevolent Christians and not the way of philanthropic Christians. Christians give generously and out of love. The thing is, you can give without loving but you can never love without giving.
The Christian should know that God will see him through with the little money in his hands or bank account. God will bless the little business or work he or she has started to make a living. Don't give up on what you have started doing or are about to start doing for a living.
Everything big starts small and God will bless your hustle. Just be content with the little you have right now since the God you serve has promised that He will carry you through and provide for your daily needs and that of others including the Church through you.
If He turned just five loaves of bread with two fishes into the abundance that served 5000 people and 12 basketful remains then you can trust Him with your little and much. If He can feed all the birds in the air, the fishes in the waters, animals in the forests and clothes the field of the earth with beautiful flowers and fresh green grass then you can count on His Word of promise that He will never leave you or abandon you in your small beginning and never is He going to forsake you when He makes you great, industrious and prosperous.
The blessings of God will not carry you to where the grace of God cannot keep or sustain you. This year is your year of greater
expectations and you are going higher because of a free roster of God's abundant grace.
Believe in God in your present condition and trust the process. All that you need is God and the blessed thing is, you have God by yourself 24/7 working for your good. Shalom Aleichem! The
