"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it...." Psalm 24:1
"'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the Lord Almighty." Haggai 2:8
God therefore commands us to be responsible stewards of all He's given us...
"It is required of a steward that one be found trustworthy." 1 Corinthians 4:2b
A responsible steward will have a detailed plan for their finances - their giving, saving, investing, debt repayment, lifestyle, etc. They will exercise self control over their finances rather than their finances controlling them...
"Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity." Proverbs 21:5
God desires for us to enjoy what He's given us...
put your "hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." 1 Timothy 6:17
Yet God also calls us to a radical sacrifice of our lives and our money for the purposes of following Jesus and spreading the gospel...
"Sell your posessions and give to the poor." Luke 12:33
"Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:33
"No one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to recived a hundred times as much in the present age...and in the age to come, eternal life." Mark 10:29-30
Lately, I feel so torn. God's Word must be the ultimate authority for my life, yet I see troubling truths in it. While there are passages that clearly talk about our enjoyment of God's material blessings in our lives, there are far more passages that command the abandonment, sacrifice, and giving away of earthly wealth and possessions so that Jesus' love may be extended to the lost and needy around us. Oh how I desire the wisdom and discernment to understand God's Word in this matter. Oh how I long to be obedient. I don't want to pursue stuff and in the process miss Christ and the unmatched pleasures that He gives to a life free from bondage to the possessions of this world. I don't want to miss eternal treasure because I settle for earthly trinkets!
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