Posted By Guest Contributor

I hate messing with money, but – man, oh man – do I like what money can buy! I am actually wondering if the shopping mall could be my mission field…

But this Sunday I really felt like God was talking to ME… about money. That is strange because I like to give it away! Isn’t that what He usually talks to us about, when it comes down to money? I like to not worry about it, or save it, or even talk about it. I would like for money to be a ‘non-issue”. (I would also like to be super thin and look 10 yrs younger – oh well.)

Whenever God starts talking, I always want to answer, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10) and not “Huh?”, which often comes to mind first! So….as I was driving in my car preparing to hear the 3rd different message (different stations) on ‘giving it all away’, here is what I heard…

Mark 10:17-27 talks about the rich young ruler who left his conversation with Jesus very sad. He couldn’t give everything. He thought he was giving everything, following every rule. But Jesus knew his heart. He knew exactly where to touch to show this young man who he really was. So I wonder about me… who am I really? Not, “What do I believe?” Not, “What do I say?” but more, “What do my actions and more specifically, my checkbook [read: debit card] say about me?”

Let’s stop a moment. Pray. Tell God, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Then open up the spending records of our hearts (money spent for Kingdom work, time spent loving your neighbor, time spent with Christ…) It’s all currency, it’s all exchanging one thing for another. Do you have the ‘right stuff’?

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