First of all, look at Matthew 6:
- Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
- but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
- for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
These are words spoken by Jesus. So, Christians should not have bank accounts or stock portfolios or IRAs or money under the mattress for these are all “treasures upon earth.”
“But,” you say. “But what will we eat? What will we wear? How will we afford to live during retirement? How will we provide for our families?”
Well, Jesus addresses some of these very questions. Look a few verses later…
- Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
- Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
- Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
- And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
- and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
- Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
- Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
- (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
- But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
- Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Jesus’ answer to all our worries is “take no thought for the morrow!” I guess the original “Don’t worry; be happy.” He claims that if He takes care of the birds and the flowers and if you are so much more than the birds and the flowers that He will take care of you. Pretty radical, huh?
I mean, just imagine, having faith. Faith in an all-powerful, all-knowing, loving God capable of creating the entire world by simply speaking! Why do we think we need to help out God by balancing our portfolios and working our asses off 50 and 60 hours a week to bring home the bacon? God says that He will take care of us. He knows that we need to eat and drink and have clothing (see verse 32) and He will provide.
This is directly from Jesus. He is telling us how to live our lives. Christians are supposed to be like Jesus and do what He tells us to do. Why do so many simply ignore Jesus’ direct words? I’ve heard pastors and teachers talk about these verses but they always talk about getting through “rough times”, there’s a “light at the end of the tunnel.” When you’re out of work, take heart. God will provide. But I don’t read it this way. Jesus is not talking about times “between jobs.” He’s talking everyday.
What’s more, the early church believed this and acted on it! Look at Acts 2:
- And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
- and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
They seemed to really believe what Jesus said about riches in Matthew 19:21
If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
Jesus spoke these words to a young man who had kept all of God’s laws since he was a child. And don’t forget the camel and the eye of a needle comment Jesus makes.
Jesus was poor. His followers were poor. His early church sold possessions and land and gave the money freely to anyone who needed it. But so many in the church today, Christians of today, don’t seem to be listening to Jesus’ words anymore. They are worried about tomorrow and believing what Jesus said. They are basically calling Jesus a liar or not powerful enough to follow through on what He said.
That’s a pretty weak God they want the rest of the world to believe in.
Absolutely.
Lack of faith that God has any ability to provide money holds most Christians back from realizing their calling.
I wouldn’t go as far as to say Christians shouldn’t have bank accounts - good stewardship of what they are given is essential - but they should not tie themselves down to their bank balance or constantly worry about their retirement fund and investment portfolio.
God really can take care of their finance situation.
God doesn’t need them to cheat on their taxes either….