Today on Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. What does God think about money? Better, what does God think about the amount of money that you have? I mean, how much is enough? Is God down on people with money?
Is being poor a curse? Is being wealthy a blessing? How does it all really work? If you want to understand what Scripture says about you and money, and you might be surprised at the answer, stay with me. Hello, I'm Dave Drui, and this is Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram.
Recently, in our series called Building Authentic Community, Chip warned us about four wrong ways to handle money, straight from James chapter five. Today he flips it around and gives us four positive, practical commands for using the wealth God has entrusted to us, and shows us why God is looking for people who will be rivers instead of reservoirs. Remember, you can always revisit these messages any time at LivingOnTheEdge dot org.
Well, now here's Chip with today's message titled "Why Better Things Don't Always Make Things Better." Let me give you. Four commands right out of Scripture on the right uses of wealth.
So when we walk out of here, instead of feeling lonely and bad and guilty about our wealth, we can say, "Hey, here's a practical, systematic way that we can use the God-given wealth for good." So with that, are you ready to roll? Good. Command number one is save it faithfully. Although hoarding is condemned, God does say that wisdom demands that we plan for the future with our excess wealth. Notice what it says in Proverbs twenty-one twenty: the wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets.
Biblical savings is about stewardship, not about security. Do you see the difference? The second positive way to use your wealth is make it honestly. This is how we're supposed to gain wealth. Notice what it says: work brings profit, talk brings poverty.
We're to work hard instead of steal it. Notice, work hard instead of the get rich quick schemes. Proverbs thirteen eleven. It's not in your notes, but you might want to jot that down. It says, wealth from gambling or the idea of getting rich quickly disappears, but wealth from hard work grows.
Or the classic New Testament passage is Ephesians four twenty eight. Let him who steals, literally, it's happening in the church. The grammar here is literally, stop stealing. Let him who steals steal no longer, but rather what? Let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need.
Work hard, but wisely. I love Proverbs twenty three four. It says, "Don't wear yourself out to get rich. Have the wisdom to show restraint. Work hard.
That's how you gain it." You know, I know when you can't sleep. It's now three thirty-three in the morning. You're now thinking, "What a terrible day it's going to be." And maybe I could watch some mindless thing on TV. It'll help me sleep. And so you turn on the TV.
The quality program between about two thirty in the morning to five will blow your mind. And what is it? With no money down, I'll show you how. To buy real estate like you've never dreamed, right? Or for 1999, seven payments of 1999.
This book has the magic formula where you can be a millionaire. And then they have these guys with all these testimonies. And I love the guy, the one guy. You know, he's in the boat with all the babes in the bikinis and back on. Hey, man, I'll tell you what I did.
I went through this course. And what is it? It's a lie. It's just a lie. There are no quick fixes.
God says there's nothing wrong with wealth. In fact, God says He gives wealth to the godly and He adds no sorrow to it. He says, "Try this. Just work for it." Quit, quit, quit! Trying to get I—I don't know how many believers, even Christian organizations, about ten, twelve years ago, a Ponzi scheme soaked tens of millions of dollars, promising.
If it sounds too good to be true, just take it. It's too good to be true. People who promise twenty percent return and this return and that return—something smells. Don't go there. There is no free lunch.
Work hard. Save it. Make it honestly, and before I get to the next one, I want to ask you a question because this is always lingering in the back of people's minds. People ask me, "So, how much money can a godly person make?" I have an answer.
Now, this is Chip Ingram. We were in James before. You're going to get Chip Ingram, so you can say, "I like this. I don't like this. I'll weigh it." My answer: as much as you want.
Of course, there's an end to you know. You ready? That's not the whole answer. As much as you want, as long it doesn't hurt your health, your family, others, and then here's the key test: as long as your spiritual growth is outpacing your financial growth, that's the test. Because money will always reveal your heart.
You can make as much money as you want, as long as your spiritual growth is outpacing your financial growth. I think God is looking for people that He can trust great amounts of wealth to, and they're few and far in between. People who, as one guy says, can't remember who it was, God is looking for people that will be rivers instead of reservoirs. People that He can put it in here, and it loosely will go through and make it to lots of other people and do lots of good instead of go into something where it all gets accumulated. Wealth is not a bad thing.
Wealth can be a great thing, but I would suggest it's a dangerous thing. I don't think we take that seriously. Mark chapter four, when Jesus talks about the four seeds that go into the ground, you remember seed number one, Satan takes away. Seed number two, persecution. Do you remember what seed number three is?
The worries of the world. The thorns, the deceitfulness of riches choke out the word of God. It is so hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God because rich people—that's us—don't recognize our desperate dependency. Poor people are rich in faith because they pray and expect and ask because they desperately need God. When you have enough wealth to take care of yourself, you have to willfully be dependent.
And the thing about wealth is is deceitful, and the definition of deceitful is when it is affecting you. The person who doesn't know it is you, right? I mean, when you're deceived, it's like you think things are going right. I'm really walking with the Lord. Everything's fine, and I feel good.
And when I sing those songs, I have happy feelings in my heart. I'm actually reading my Bible. I'm serving at my church. Let me tell you, God's going to say, "Let me see your daytimer, and let me see your financial statement." And I'll tell you how you're doing with me, because according to Jesus, if you want to see a person's heart, his spiritual X-ray machine, the spiritual MRI is your financial statement. Because according to Jesus, there's here's your heart, and there's a chain, and the chain is connected to your wallet, and wherever your wallet is, that's where your heart follows.
And if we want to know where your heart really is, what you know, what are you passionate about? All we got to do is look at where your money goes. If it's to golf clubs, vacations, remodeling, this, this, this, this, you can love God, sing hymns, read your Bible, serving your church. But your heart is in those things. If your money is toward kingdom purposes, being generous to people after taking care of your responsibilities, then your heart is about an eternal perspective and loving God.
It is that simple. And so you can have as much money as you want, but just make sure that your spiritual growth outpaces your financial growth. Notice number three: spend it wisely, save it, work for it, spend it wisely. Notice what it says in First Timothy six seventeen and eighteen. Command those who are rich in this present world—that's us—not to be arrogant or put their hope in wealth.
Why? See, God's not dying on us. Why? Which is so uncertain. God doesn't want you to put your hopes in something that today is, you know, getting fifty-five dollars a share, and tomorrow is going to get two dollars a share, and bang, you are gone.
He says, "Don't don't don't don't have them do that, which is so uncertain. But to put their hope in God, who does what? Richly provides us. Circle the word with everything. Circle that phrase: who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
Will you circle that word too?" God provides us with everything. Then command them to what? To do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. The reminder is a hundred percent of it belongs to God, and it's not just the part you give. People, people, I know people say, "I'm going to tithe," and here's God's part.
There's the ten percent. If you're a tither, here's just a little eye-opening moment. The ten percent is His, and it belongs to Him, and the ninety percent is His, and belongs to Him. And I will be evaluated for the ten percent, or the twelve percent, or the twenty percent, or whatever God leads me to, and I'll also be evaluated. What do I do with the ninety percent?
Am I a wise steward of it? See, it's not mine. I'm His money manager. I mean, read Luke sixteen. When Jesus wanted to teach, He talked about the unrighteous, shrewd servant.
And he says this guy was really smart because he understood he was going to lose his job, and since he's going to lose his job, he brought in all the creditors and he changed all the books. Why? Do you remember? He said Jesus said this guy is shrewd. He took a bad example and made a good moral principle, a spiritual principle.
This guy understood that his present situation was going to dry up, so he used his present position, platform, and money to create an avenue so that when that dried up, he would have friends who would receive him. And Jesus says that the children of the darkness are more shrewd than the children of the light. He says, "What smart Christians do, what smart Christians realize, is this money, this world, is going to dry up. It's like Confederate money. I mean, you know, when when the Union came, you could have all this Confederate dollars, you just couldn't spend them.
All the dollars that you have, you can't spend in heaven." So you take the money that you have, and you realize it's going to be a short time. And you take the money and you leverage it into the future, so that what did Jesus say? You'll be welcomed into eternal dwellings by people who say, "Man, I was one of those hurricane victims. Thank you so much. You gave ten grand, and it helped this church and shared the gospel.
And I heard from these angels that you were behind it. I wanted to thank you." And people line up in heaven and talk to you about how you transform their life. And someone from Kenya comes up, and someone from Australia. Elijah comes up, and so and you know, man, thank you so much because you gave to that mission, and this is, and I'm here because of that's the point, and so, but notice the balance here. He says, not only is it about good deeds and giving richly, command them to do good.
A hundred percent belongs to God. We're going to be stewards of it, but there's this amazing balance. This is why people can't tell us what to do with our money. There's this amazing balance, doesn't it? Say, who gives us all things richly to enjoy?
You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram, and we'll get back to today's message in just a moment. Did you know Chip isn't just on the radio; he's on YouTube too? Just search Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram and hit subscribe. You'll find full-length video teaching from Chip on marriage, parenting, leadership, and a whole lot more, ready to watch whenever it fits your schedule. It's also a great way to share a message with a friend who needs it.
All right, now back to our message. I think there should be tension in every believer's heart when it comes to money, and the tension ought to be: how can I be radically sacrificial, and at the same time, radically and deeply enjoy without guilt the good gifts of God. When I talk to most Christians, we have a nice car. You know, well, I got it on sale, and you know, it's because you know I help out at the church with funerals, or we have the swimming pool. I know it's a really nice house, a swimming pool for baptisms.
It was we put it in for baptisms. How about the good hand of my God has been upon me, and He's lavished His grace upon me. I can't give it away fast enough. I have a beautiful home. I have a nice car.
I'm able to enjoy these rich gifts from a from a God. And I remember when I was a young man, I started out at ten percent. And then, as when I got older, it was twenty percent. And as God has blessed my business, I have a personal friend that, after his twenty-first birthday, he started giving one more percent every year to the Lord. A minimum of that.
He's been married fifty-five years now. You do the math. But guess you know something happened. God found a river, so he probably gives up seventy five, eighty five percent of his income. But he owns real estate all over Michigan, Florida, everywhere.
See when when God finds someone like that. He just he just delights. God is not uptight with people being wealthy. God's uptight with people thinking wealth makes you significant, will bring security, will give you power, makes you a someone. And when they waste it and abuse it and don't use it the way He wants them to, I think God wants probably more people to be wealthy if He could entrust it where it wouldn't literally choke out the spiritual life in their heart.
Takes huge maturity to be wealthy. Huge maturity, but I think we have to balance the sacrificial with what's the passage say? Who gives us all thing richly? To feel guilty about? Doesn't it say who gives us all thing richly to enjoy?
Enjoy. My priorities in line. I've prayed. My bills are paid. I have saved for an emergency fund.
I'm putting away X amount of dollars for my retirement. And I've done the math, and I'm not going to have a big. You know, the goal is when I retire, I'll have for this many years, and then I've got it all planned out so that that money will be dispersed to good places, to good people that does a lot of good, and won't ruin my kids. And by the way, I'm taking steps of increasing faith. I proportionally give, and this year we're going to give a little more, and this year we give a little more, this year we give a little more, and.
I'm going to test God, and as you do that, here's what happens: He just keeps He just keeps doing wild stuff, like giving you more. And so He says, save it. He says, earn it with hard work. He says, spend it wisely, and then finally, we've touched on. He says, give it, give it generously.
Proverbs 11 says, one man gives freely, you know, he's generous, yet gains even more. Another withholds unduly or literally what is justly due, but comes to poverty. I love this verse twenty five of Proverbs eleven: A generous man will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. The Bible is clear on money, and the Bible is clear on giving, and you know why? Is because option A: Jesus is the Lord of my life.
Option B: Mammon or materialism, and all that it represents is the Lord of my life, and I can't have two masters. It's either this one or that one. There is no middle ground. And the antidote, according to Jesus, Jesus talked more about money than heaven and hell combined. And the antidote to greed, according to Jesus, is to be generous.
The only way it won't stick to you is if you give it away. And so he says, "Be generous." It's the antidote to greed. It's the only way to live under the lordship of Christ. I mean, you work, work, work all these hours, right? You get a paycheck.
That paycheck represents who you are, what you've done. Is who you are and what you've done under the lordship of Christ. It all belongs to you.
So I take the first portion off the top and I say, "This is a reminder. It's all yours." And I give, and then I do all the things I'm supposed to do, and then I look for opportunity to say, "Okay, now I would like to give more, because I love you, not duty, not guilt, Lord. I love you." What what? You've given me everything. I want to help people.
I want to care. I just—I'm only going to go around once, and and whatever I can accumulate, the lie is x amount of dollars and x amount of counts and x amount of things don't make me powerful. They don't make me significant, and they don't make me secure. God says, you know something? Money can't deliver.
That's the lie. I'm your source. Jesus said it's more blessed to give. Than to receive, giving is God's divine vehicle to protect my heart. It's His divine means to crush greed and the thorns that will choke out the spiritual life, and it is His means for every believer to support His church to accomplish His mission in the world.
And He says, "You get to be in on an eternal investment as you learn to give and to give generously." Jesus said, "Blessed." The word means happy, fulfilled, significant, security, joyful. Comes more in giving than in accumulating or receiving.
Now, I'd like to wrap it up with a question, and the question would be this one: The first one was, "If I had more money, I'd be more happy." And pragmatically, our lifestyles say, "True." What the Bible says is false. In fact, pragmatically, if you do research, have you read any of those books about following the lives of people who won the lotto? Oh my, it's like one thing you don't want: don't win the lotto, unless you want a divorce and have all kind of relational problems and struggle probably for the rest of your life. That was the first question. Here's the last question: If I gave away more money, I would be more happy.
True or false? It's true. Wouldn't it be just an amazing application if we we just all you think just you know what if we all said you know let's just start giving away more money, let's just let's just start giving away more, let's just love people, let's get radical. Just, just kind of start giving it away, and kind of incrementally, and see what God will do. And if you, you know, if He gives you more, then give a little bit more.
And wouldn't it be amazing thing? Here's what I'll tell you will happen in your heart: the happiness that you think the clothes, the car, the watch, all the advertisement that tell you that makes you somebody, you start giving your money, your time, your heart, your energy. You'll just be about the happiest person. It'll just get sickening. I mean, I'm serious.
The giving it will be given unto you isn't just about dollars. It's a lifestyle of generosity. It's a lifestyle of walking into a room, walking into a situation, and asking the question, "What could I give?" Instead of "What do I need?" And those kind of people are the kind of people that I line up to try and get time with, just to be around. Don't you? And you know what?
Most of us, you know, if you want to want a friend, give friendship. You want more time? Give time away. There is an axiomatic principle of the kingdom: whatever you really need, generously give it to others, and it will come back. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, back into your lap.
The empirical evidence here is very, very clear: that more things and better things don't make us happy, and that money always reveals our heart. And then here is the summary. Until you get your financial house in order, your relational life will always be in chaos. Until you get your financial house in order, your relational life will always be in chaos. And so, ask yourself: Am I saving faithfully?
Am I earning honestly? Am I spending wisely? And am I giving generously? And if so, high five the Lord. Thank Him for what He's taught you.
And if not, just choose one of those and say, "Lord, I'd like to obey you in this," and He will give you grace like never before. You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram, and a message titled "Why Better Things Don't Always Make Things Better." You can revisit today's lesson and find more of our current series called "Building Authentic Community" by going online to LivingOnTheEdge.org. Know someone who's wrestling with money or always chasing more?
Well, share today's lesson with them from the Living on the Edge podcast, and for encouragement all week long. Follow Living on the Edge on Facebook and Instagram. You know, money always follows the heart, and a heart that's decided to love will always find a way to give. That's the message of Chip's book. I choose love.
Chip makes the case that real biblical love isn't a feeling you wait around for. It's a daily decision to give, to serve, and to put somebody else's best interest ahead of your own comfort. Here's an idea to get that started: get a copy of Chip's book for yourself and a second copy for someone else in your Life and invite them to read it with you. You can get your copies of I Choose Love at a special price online at LivingOnTheEdge.org/offers. Chip said today that giving is God's divine way of protecting our hearts, and it's also how this ministry reaches the next person who needs to hear the truth.
If you'd like to be a river instead of a reservoir, we invite you to give today. A gift of any size helps carry practical biblical teaching. To homes, cars, and workplaces all across the country, give online at livingontheedge.org or call us at triple eight three three three six zero zero three. You can also give through the mail by writing to us at Living on the Edge, P.O. Box three thousand seven, Swanee, Georgia three zero zero two four.
Well, now here's Chip Ingram. At the end of today's broadcast, I made a statement. And I hope you caught it, but I want to repeat it. Until you get your financial house in order, your relational life will always be in chaos. And you say, "Well, what do you mean, your financial house in order?" I mean what the passage said.
I mean you save it faithfully and regularly. You earn it honestly. You spend it wisely, and you give it generously. Is that true of your life? If you're not doing that, I will tell you as a single person, you will have ups and downs and relational chaos because those things are reflectors of values out of whack.
If you're not doing that, I can almost predict what's happening in certain areas of your marriage and how some of your kids are turning out. They need to learn how to save, how to work, how to give, and they will learn that not so much from books. But from by watching you. Two great misconceptions exist in the church today. There are those who would say that abject poverty and having nothing makes you spiritual, and the Bible doesn't teach that.
And the other extreme is that if you love God and can think in certain ways and kind of believe things into existence, that spirituality will be demonstrated by financial prosperity. With the false belief, with the lie that somehow more Money is going to make your life right. The richest people on the face of the earth have the greatest relational problems because it impacts their relationships in ways that most of us cannot even imagine.
So, if you want to have great relationships, it's hard, but get your financial house in order.
Next time, Chip exposes the fifth and final lie in this part of our series. You don't want to miss it. That's next time on Living on the Edge. Today's program is produced and sponsored by Living on the Edge.
