Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– John Piper
It’s God’s Money
If you think it’s your money, you are sadly mistaken, for the Bible says of God, “For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10). This is not the least that God owns; He owns everything, including the fullness of the earth. God needs nothing from us (Acts 17:25), and He doesn’t want our money. He wants our heart because if He has our heart, He has everything we have and we’ll feel compelled to share what we have with others and things for the kingdom’s sake.
It’s God’s Time
We might think that we have all the time in the world and that it’s our time, but the psalmist says, “My times are in your hand” (Psalm 31:15a). Job knew that “a person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed” (Job 14:5). Every day is said to be a gift, which is why they call it the present. We are stewards of the days that God has given us. Will we use them for His purpose and for His glory?
It’s God’s Talent
Whatever talent or skill you have, God has given it to you for very special purposes. Try to wrap your mind around this: God prepared good works for you to do before you even existed! Say that again. Ephesians 2:10 gives a biblical explanation, as Paul writes that “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Each one of us has been gifted in some way by God. There is no one alive or who has ever been born that doesn’t have some talent, skill, or gift given by God. The question is, will we use it for God’s glory and purpose or for ours?
It’s Your Reward
Each man and woman will receive a reward for that which they’ve done in this life. Some will receive very little and some very much, depending on what they’ve invested into the kingdom. We can’t take our money with us, but we can send it ahead. Paul wrote that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he (or she) has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10). You should “know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do” (Ephesians 6:8).
Conclusion
Wise people know that all their money belongs to God, but so does all of their time and their talent. What you do with these is up to you. My suggestion is to be using them for God’s glory, for they who do will reap great rewards in the kingdom and for all eternity.
