The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10
“Jesus came to give us life in every area of our lives, including our finances. If we are to be good and fruitful stewards of the things of God, we cannot allow the thief (Satan) to steal, kill, and destroy even our material possessions.
I do not mean God wants us rich. I am not proclaiming a gospel of financial prosperity. There is a principle of fruitfulness and life that permeates the Scriptures. Whether we have little or much, God desires good fruit to come from what we have.
In the realm of our finances, we are to experience the reality of life-giving, rather than life-consuming. Money and other material possessions are to be utilized as godly tools to see the kingdom of God extended.”
Daryl G. Donovan in Maximizing Your Marriage: A Marriage Enrichment Course for Couples (Lima, OH: CSS Publishing, 2005) 60.
Today and tomorrow in Milwaukee I am doing a seminar with content from forthcoming book entitled, Good and Faithful: Ten Stewardship Lessons for Everyday Living (to be released in October 2017 by Seedbed). We will consider together traits of good stewards, faithful marriages, and fruitful families.
Donovan rightly notes that God desires that finances and material possessions serve as godly tools to grow the kingdom in a life-giving rather than life-consuming manner. He urges people to consider both big purchases and little ones by tracking spending habits. What about you?
How do you use finances and material possessions as godly tools? Make a list of your expenses over one week or month as an individual or couple. Pray about one thing you could spend less on (life-consuming) so that you could use those funds to build God’s kingdom (life-giving). Do this exercise together with your spouse or a friend.