The Power of Money

Mark 12: 41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box.

I don’t often talk about money. I don’t have much, yet that which I have is important to me. It provides for my ministry, it provides for food and shelter, it provides for my family and friends, and it gives me opportunity to give back to God.

I have learned a lesson late in life that I wish I had learned earlier in my journey. That is the privilege of giving back to God a tithe of all He has given to me. They practice a strange ritual at the church I have been attending when I am in the states. Before they receive the offering someone might get up on stage and say, “OK friends, it’s time to receive the offering.” The place explodes in joyous applause. I have noticed in the bulletin each week that they always reach their need.

There is something about joyous giving that changes why we give. I have tried to practice giving in the past. Sometimes I succeeded; sometimes I fell short. I have discovered lately that every time I give out of this joyful attitude it is not a chore but a blessing. For the past year and a half, I have not received a paycheck. It was a choice I made to follow God into mission work in Nicaragua. Yet in this time, every need has been meet, every wish has been fulfilled and every want has been provided.

Part of this has been the lesson of learning to do without. Though difficult, it has proved to be rewarding as we examine the important things in life. Part of this has been the blessing from faithfulness in relationship with my wife and family. Tithing is also about the things we have, not only about money. But most noticeably has been my willingness to be joyful in giving--giving a biblical tithe back to God in thankfulness for everything.

Money can be a powerful force in your life. It has the power to overcome you, to make you its slave to what it can provide in worldly stuff OR money can become the source of great joy when you control it and give it back to God in joyful obedience.

Jesus was sitting down watching people put money into the offering box…