Money: Thoughts For God’s Stewards

“Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and watched how the crowd was putting money into it. And many rich people put in large amounts. Then one poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a small fraction of a denarius. Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all the others. For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had—all she had to live on.'” — Mark 12:41-44

In all our faith and Bible study, it is very important to understand the mind of Christ, to think like He thought, and to feel like He felt. There isn’t a question we face or an issue that comes up where Christ’s words don’t offer guidance and help. Today, we want to understand Christ’s thoughts about money, to know exactly how He viewed it, and then to think and act as He would. This isn’t easy. We are so influenced by the world around us that we may fear becoming impractical if we live exactly like Christ. But we shouldn’t be afraid; if we truly want to know His will, He will show us what He wants us to think and do. Just be sincere in saying: I want Christ to teach me how to handle and use my money.

Imagine Him sitting by the treasury, watching people give their offerings. We often associate money in the church with Judas, or an overworked deacon, or a treasurer. But look—Jesus is the one watching the collection. As He watches, He weighs each gift in God’s balance and determines its value. He still does this in heaven. Every gift given for God’s work, large or small, is noticed by Him, and He assigns its value for the blessing it will bring in this life or the next. Even here on earth, He is ready to show us what He thinks of our giving, if we have hearts willing to listen. Giving money is part of our spiritual life, watched over by Christ, and must be guided by His word. Let’s explore what the scriptures teach us about this.