Divine Wisdom for Daily Living by Joanne Colvin

“Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God…he did all that God commanded him.” (Genesis 6:9, 22)

I have moved from the hospital to a rehab facility to continue my therapy after knee surgery. Having moved over twenty times in my adult life, to different countries, states, and cities, I was surprised at the difficulty of this one. But the adjustment to a new environment with new people has been radically different with a body that is starting to heal from major surgery. Recovery from natural disasters, the sudden death of a parent or child, major medical emergencies, the birth of a severely disabled child, loss of employment and income, and psychological break-downs are all extremely demanding. But none of these can compare with the situation that God ordained for Noah, his family, and the world. How did he do it? “Noah walked with God through all the years of preparing for, enduring, and recovering from the flood that changed the world.

This week we will study the lives of faithful Old Testament stewards. Our perspective will be on the way they responded to their circumstances, God’s expectations of them, and their management of their gifts and resources. Noah, Joseph, Moses, Hannah, and Nehemiah had this in common: they believed in God’s authority, sovereignty, and providential work with God’s people for God’s glory. The broad application for us is that the greater our understanding and appreciation of God’s sovereignty and his generous provisions as the Creator and Sustainer of life, the more we will desire to glorify Him in our circumstances, and the management of his provisions. These five managed different kinds of resources including material provisions, people, time, and the Lord’s commands. We are also called to manage these, with the addition of the Holy Spirit’s guidance for conformity to Jesus Christ.

Noah’s stewardship began before he started building the ark. He believed and walked with God. Our stewardship also begins by believing in Christ, the Messiah of the Bible, and the doctrines of Scripture, God’s Word and our highest authority. Noah built spiritually as he built materially, which was his sanctification. He found enough wood to build the ark with the help of his sons, and he embraced faith in God through his continued, open relationship with the Lord. Noah’s family undertook their life’s work of building the ark to

God’s specifications even though it had never rained before and they submitted to the Lord as he shut them up in the ark during the great deluge. Noah’s faith endured, and he was confident that God would provide for his family in time, seen in his sending out the birds to assess God’s timing (Genesis 8:6-12) Sometimes our greatest challenge is waiting on God for his provisions or relief. A wise steward will treat time as a resource that is best used by attentiveness to God’s work and plan. Noah and his family managed their resources to be in the ark for over a year, with a wide range of animal life. They succeeded in beginning a new life, albeit imperfect, with the Lord by vulnerably yielding to his process.

How do you manage your life in your circumstances, with faith in God’s plans or as an independent agent, with your own goals? Would you consider yourself a wise steward of your faith, time, material possessions, the Holy Spirit’s work in you, your sanctification, and relationships? What should you change to see yourself as a faithful steward of Christ?

“Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.” (Proverbs 23:4-5)

Ok, so there are many people in the world today working to make money; no one will argue with that fact. But there are also many people who have accumulated tremendous wealth, not from merely laboring to be wealthy but to be able to give to others through this powerful means. Christians are not to become weary from labors whose only end is the accrual of wealth. However, we indeed may become tired from the work required to improve the lives of others, particularly the poor and vulnerable.

Money is not to be an end in itself, but a tool that we can use to glorify God and serve others. It is a tool that we use to worship, serve, and offer thanksgiving as good stewards. One test to know if our view of money and wealth is biblical is to ask ourselves if we seek money as something from God that we either deserve or have earned. Or, is money something God gives to us that we use to praise him by returning to him what is rightfully his. We are either takers or givers.

If your eyes are only on money, and not God, it is gone in an instant, because it is used up. However, if you see finances as a means to an end, it is as important as the watch on your wrist, the car you drive, or the gas put in your car, to get you where you need to be at just the right time. Wealth without a function is a pretty girl without a dance partner. They are both lovely and inviting but can give no one enjoyment, since they are incomplete. The use of riches is what honors God, not the amount of money used. “[Jesus] sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”’ (Mark 12:41-44)

The poor widow gave sacrificially to further the kingdom. Whose money do you have and what will you do with it?

“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10)

“Wealth is arguably the secular religion of the modern Western world. Although it was a good and noble idea to print “In God We Trust” on U.S dollars, the irony is that most Americans trust in their finances far more than in their Creator…the wealth attained through prizing and applying God’s wisdom is ultimately more satisfying than the wealth attained by prizing and applying our own wisdom. Both approaches can be profitable to a degree. Both can yield material returns. But to seek God’s wisdom is to attain wealth in a much more satisfying form.” (1)

God honors us with what earn or receive that is material, trusting us to be good stewards. Sometimes the Lord tests us and by so doing, gives us the opportunity to prove that, with his help, we can resist the temptation to worship God’s gifts instead of God himself. We, in turn, should honor the Lord by giving generously, not because God will give us even more but because he deserves our firstfruits. Proverbs 3:10 implies that if we give freely to the Lord, he will give freely to us. While this may sometimes happen, it is not always true. The health & wealth preachers would have us believe in the “’Law of Compensation.’ According to this law—purportedly based on Mark 10:30—Christians should give generously to others because when they do, God gives back more in return. This, in turn, leads to a cycle of ever-increasing prosperity.” (2)

Let’s seek to understand Proverbs 3:10 reasonably, rationally, and consistent with other teachings in Scripture. Perhaps the plenty referred to in barn is more than enough to help those who have little or nothing. Having more than we need for ourselves offers us the opportunity to give freely to the poor. A barn full of plenty also eliminates the need for any material worry on our part, that might distract us from serving God. “Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:31-33).

How will you honor the Lord with your wealth today?

(1) Selvaggio, Anthony, “A Proverbs Driven Life,“ Kindle Locations 1052-1055). Shepherd Press. Kindle Edition, Shepherd Press, 2001, Location 1033-1046.

(2)    Jones, David W., “5 Errors of the Prosperity Gospel,” The Gospel Coalition, June 5, 2015, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/5-errors-of-the-prosperity-gospel

“He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity… Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10, 19-20)

Is it possible to be content when you have insomnia and an important presentation the next day? Is it possible for you to be satisfied when you are ill, hurt, or oppressed? Is it possible for a poor man or woman to be content? The Bible says, “Yes!” But it is not possible to be covetous and content at the same time because we become restless to acquire more of what we already have.

God calls us to be peaceful, content, and satisfied with that which he ordains for us. Benjamin Burks says, “Contentment is the opposite of Covetousness. Contentment is trusting God when life is unfair; being certain of God when life is uncertain and comes from living for others in the name of Christ. Contentment comes from trusting that God will take care of us…Contentment begins when we realize that we can still trust God even when life isn’t fair.” *

What will it take for you to be content? What do you covet that hinders your contentment?

* http://benjaminburks.com/contentment-is-the-opposite-of-covetousness

Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.” (Psalm 37:16)

“Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it….Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.” (Proverbs 15:16-17; 16:8)

I am writing this in my hospital room about thirty-six hours after knee surgery, by God’s grace alone. The first twenty-four hours were a breeze compared to the pain now that the spinal block has worn off. This may be my shortest blog entry in spite of our verses that are filled with the knowledge of Christ, the source of all godly knowledge (1 Corinthians 1:24). David and Solomon are contrasting the lifestyle of a wicked fool with that of a godly person. The wicked fool here has a bulging bank account to spend on himself without thought of those who have very little. The righteous person is the one with little material wealth, but great strength of character to share his wealth with others and use his revenue in this world for God’s glory, which we are working on here and now.

The Christian’s life is a sacrificial one, modeled by Jesus. Believers are heir to all things and desires to give all things away. The wicked man or woman is afraid of losing his possessions. I think of the people I know who need knee replacements but will not submit themselves to the very real pain and vulnerability. They endure all the troubles of a bad knee, such as falling down or not being able to go up and down steps easily. The other outlook *which I am trying very hard to hold on to) is that this intense pain will give way to complete healing to my benefit and the benefit of others.

 

Deciding to have knee replacement surgery is an intentional act leading to greater activity, freedom from pain, and the ability to help others in a way that I haven’t been able to since 2014. Yes, it’s painful, and yes, I have had to give up all my activities for a short time. But it’s nothing compared with the benefits that are yet to come. Passive waiting for improvement is not an option for someone who wants to be more active in ministry to others for God’s glory. There are two clear choices: go through the pain of the surgery and rehab, or do nothing and hope it doesn’t get worse, which is inevitable.

Why would anyone submit themselves to such a painful ordeal? There is the easy way of accepting our condition right now, which will deteriorate. The other choice is to renew our thinking in the fear of the Lord pushing on to become the person with the fear of the Lord and unknown wealth? Will you intentionally choose the path of righteousness? “Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.” (Psalm 37:16) Does your life look like this? What must happen in your life to be the righteous person described here?

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” (1 Timothy 6:10)

“Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5)

We can’t live without food or clothing, and we can’t live without money in 2018. Studying biblical teaching about stewardship while examining our attitudes and desires is a necessary thing if we want to be wise and sensible Christians. For many believers, this is just too much work or too distasteful. Others misinterpret these and other Bible verses to read, “money is the root of all kinds of evils,” or “Keep your life free from money.” So we start with the truth that Jesus never taught that it is a sin to be wealthy or that money is evil in itself. There are many things in this life that are “neutral” and given to us by God for our well-being as long as we live here: food, clothing, money, internet and cellular technology, motor vehicles, sun, rain, wind, etc. Since God is the first cause of all events and natural causes, we can say that he has given mankind the skills to build some of these and ordained that they should be used. The internet can be used for good or evil, as can fire, airplanes, money, television and so on.

We are the ones who choose whether to use God-given material things and talents for the good of others or our own good. Trying to not use them at all, such as taking a vow of poverty or regarding food as the enemy responsible only for weight gain will not solve the problem of misuse. God gives some of us great wealth and others the bare minimum. Some of us will be able to earn a significant sum of money in this life and others will work to barely make ends meet, with little, if any, for retirement. Money can be used for many useful purposes: helping others in their time of need, providing for our families so that they can benefit from food, clothing, and education, giving to missionaries who carry the gospel to those who are walking in darkness, following God’s call to short-term missions ourselves or community service in our retirement, giving to our churches, supporting para-Church organizations, and for many other godly benefits. But all Christians are called to keep free from the love of money regardless of our particular circumstances. The love of money leads to sins too numerous to mention, but a few are covetousness, selfishness, unbridled ungodly ambition, stealing, over-spending, and especially idolatry. Judas professed to love the Lord but loved money more. He was installed as the keeper of the money-box, complained when Jesus was anointed with expensive perfume (using the poor as an excuse), and finally betrayed the Lord for payment. Let’s take a lesson from Judas about the futility of putting one’s hope in wealth as a satisfying endeavor or easy to escape from once the pattern is set into motion. “When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’…And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.” (Matthew 27:2-5)

What do your patterns of spending and saving reveal about your relationship with money? What subtle indications do you see that you like money a little too much, which could lead to loving it?

I am posting one day early, since I will be having knee surgery tomorrow. If I am late on Friday, please pray for lucidity to write and post. Thanks!  Joanne

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

Did you see the movie “National Treasure” and its sequel “National Treasure: Book of Secrets”? It’s easy to get caught up in the search for treasure when the actors are skilled and beautiful, the scenery is captivating, and the script is smart, funny, and culturally relevant. The movies bring out that the value of seeking treasure is in its ability to transform a person’s life dramatically. But these movies focus on precisely what Scripture warns us against earthly monetary treasures that are only good in this life here. I appreciate that the second treasure hunt (Book of Secrets) is ostensibly about protecting the reputation of a man rather than the acquisition of a financial reward.

Yesterday the quotation from “Envy of Eve” reminded us that a relationship with God is our greatest treasure. Moths and rust cannot touch this great treasure and thieves cannot steal it. We all know that the money we accumulate will end up in someone else’s hands one day. As good stewards, we should plan for it to be in the hands of those who will make the best use of it. But the possessions we have, the houses we have built, and the clothing we will not need in heaven will all be distributed with our passing. Even so, we have so many things, and there are plenty of products that we’re pressured to buy; it’s hard to remember that they have no eternal value. Many new storage facilities are under construction in and around my hometown. The furniture, artworks, Christmas decorations, and other possessions are kept in temperature-controlled units which will only delay the inevitable decay and rot.

The more we possess, the more chance there is that someone else will want to own our belongings enough to steal them. Large estates are gated because of the high risk of thieves breaking in, compared to modest homes. People with expensive jewelry often store it in a safe. The greater our material possessions, the more steps we have to take to protect them, and the more we fear we will lose them. The more time we spend thinking and planning to prevent decay or robbery, the more our heart values what we are protecting. If this isn’t a formula for idolatry, I don’t know what is.

Do you seek “to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge?” (Colossians 2:2-3) Which of your earthly treasures may be competing with Christ?

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)

For most of my life, I have disliked restaurant buffets, mainly because I never feel that I am getting my money’s worth unless I eat a lot. My thought process caused me to either overindulge or feel wasteful. Even thinking of a buffet provoked my negative attitude. Fast forward about four decades—I am living in a senior community that has buffets every Sunday and on holidays, like Memorial Day. I love inviting guests to our Sunday buffet, and I have been forced to confront my issues if I want to enjoy our time together. Since I know ahead of time what will be offered, I choose several items that will be especially pleasing and settle for those, without needing to eat more to justify the price.

Confronting our negative thought processes, attitudes, and patterns is an excellent way to work through the issues hindering our contentment and godliness in stewardship. Job was content to have nothing when God allowed Satan to strip away his wealth, home, possessions, and even his family. “Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.’ But he said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” (Job 2:9-10) Job was not only “holding onto his integrity,” but had complete confidence in the Lord to give him what was needed for living. He had been a good steward, but for reasons he did not know, God took everything away from him and then allowed Satan to strike him with a serious illness. Job is a forerunner of Paul who wrote, “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:12-13)

In her book, “The Envy of Eve,” Melissa Kruger writes, “There are two primary truths about God that relate to our view of money and possessions. The first is that God is our provider…The second relevant truth about God is that He, in Himself, is our greatest reward…He knows our true desires will only be met in relationship with Jesus. His presence in our lives, knowing Him as our greatest reward, gives us contentment in all things.” *

Some among us has been stripped of all our wealth and possessions by floods and storms. Others have also lost family in housefires or wildfires. Most of us, though, have never come close to Job’s experience and should feel rebuked and convicted by his relationship with God. God gave Job an opportunity to deal with his perceived righteousness as a good steward. In the end of the story, Job answered the Lord and said: ‘I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” (Job 42:1-3)

Now God is giving us that same chance to confront that which hinders our contentment. Will you ask God to show you how, where, and when you can be a more content, wiser steward?

* The Envy of Eve, Finding Contentment in a Covetous World, Christian Focus Publications, 2012, pages 132-133.

“Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” (1 Timothy 6:6-10)

Do you know where your money, time, and energy go? Do you use a monthly budget based on specific goals or needs? Do you have money for a medical, family, or household emergency? More generally, do you know what you want to achieve outside of work, with your family, time, investments, and church? How does your work line up with your faith? Do you spend time on your priorities every day, or are you distracted? Do you spend enough quality time with your family? In church ministry service? When you put your head on the pillow at night are you satisfied that you used the day wisely? These questions relate to the stewardship of our time and money, the two general categories of our activities. Our actions reflect our priorities and desires. Being distracted means that we are either very poor managers of our time and finances, or we have desires that we haven’t admitted to but spend time pursuing. We are going to spend some time on biblical stewardship—first on the concept in general, then more specifically on financial stewardship.

The truth of 1 Timothy 6:6 is profound: “godliness with contentment is great gain.” I could be wrong, but I think most young Christians would find the idea of contentment bland and undesirable, preferring excitement or passion instead. However, the older we get, the more we value contentment and all its implications. What does it mean to be content? Is it merely the absence of anxiety, worry, and complaining? The dictionary will tell us something like this: contentment is a state of happiness, ease, and satisfaction. However, our verse describes contentment as having the food and clothing we need to live this life, between birth and death. To those, we only need to add godliness to have a great spiritual increase in our lives.

Four principles of biblical stewards are 1. God owns everything, has a right to do what he will (Psalm 24); 2. Stewards have responsibilities to manage what is God’s, but not rights (Luke 16:1-8); 3. Stewards are accountable to God for how they manage what belongs to him (Matthew 25:14-28); and 4. Faithful stewards are spiritually and sometimes materially rewarded (Matthew 25:21) .*

We can anchor our spending habits (of time and money) on these biblical principles to be more content with God’s provisions and less likely “to fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” Later in our study, we will explore the truth that money itself is not evil, but the love and craving of money is “the root of all kinds of evils.” We cannot be content if we are also coveting that which we do not have.

How would you rate your godly contentment factor? In what areas of your life do you struggle to be satisfied, appreciating and wisely using what you have, without coveting that which you do not have? Think about the world’s pressure to be wealthy, accomplished, beautiful, smart, popular, well-informed, successful, or perfect. Do you struggle to accept who you are in Christ, or are you content with the way God has made you and provided for you?

* This helpful four-point synopsis was taken from The Institute for Faith, Work & Economics website, https://tifwe.org/four-principles-of-biblical-stewardship/.

For a more in-depth exploration into contentment or coveting, I highly recommend these books:

“The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment” by Jeremiah Burroughs, Puritan Paperbacks.

“The Envy of Eve, Finding Contentment in a Covetous World” by Melissa Kruger, Christian Focus Publications.