Text- Matthew 6:24 – “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon”
Yesterday, I started off with a quote by John Wesley, “Earn all you can, give all you can, save all you can”. I also told you how he came to the point where his entire perspective on money changed.
After the Holy Spirit convicted John Wesley, and his perspective on money changed, he began to limit his expenses so that he would have more money to give to the poor. John Wesley records in his memoir that his income in 1731 was 30 pounds, and his living expenses was 28 pounds, so he had 2 pounds to give away. The next year, his income doubled, but he still managed to live on 28 pounds and gave out the remaining 32 pounds.
By the time his income was 90 pounds, John Wesley still didn’t let his expenses rise with his income. He maintained the same standard of living at 28 pounds, and gave away 62 pounds. The year he received 120 pounds, he still lives on 28 and gave away the remaining 92 pounds. Isn’t that amazing?
Even when John Wesley started earning thousands of pound sterling, he still lived simply and was quick to give away his surplus money. One year, his income totaled 1,400 pounds. Guess what? John Wesley lived on 30 pounds and gave away all the rest!
Wesley opined that a Christian should not merely tithe but give away all of his extra income once family and all necessary obligations have been taken care of. He believed that with increasing income, what should rise is not the Christian’s standard of living, but the standard of giving.
The life of John Wesley before 1731, compared with how he lived from that year exemplifies the clear contrast between a man under the influence of Mammon (the idol of greed and material things), and someone serving God as a faithful financial steward.
Beloved, are you under the influence of Mammon, or you are a faithful financial steward to God? Do you faithfully give to the work of God? Do you sow into the life of your man of God? Do you extend a hand of help to the needy? Again, ask yourself, when God assesses how you spend your money, will he say “Well done good and faithful steward. Thou hast used thy money for so and so purpose”?
PRAYER
Lord, help me to be a faithful steward of the financial and material blessings you have entrusted me with in Jesus Name.
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