Three Kinds of Believers
Are you spending
completely on things that pass away like a vapor–or are you investing
significantly in the things of God, which do not?
I’m something of a student of human behavior, and
I’ve come to some conclusions about how most people in the world relate to God
and his gifts. With regard to those who do make some kind of attempt to serve
God, I’ve observed that there are basically three kinds of believers in this
world.
They’ve
compartmentalized the sphere of all their resources, whether time, talent, or
treasure, and haven’t brought these under the Lordship of Christ.
1. Earthly-minded Believers
The first category of people I’ve identified is a
large one, perhaps because it requires the least thought. These
believers accept what God has given them and use their resources for their own
comfort, pleasure, and personal gratification.
The Earthly-minded Believer sees money the way
nearly everyone else does. He wants to keep as much of it as possible, and use
it for his own personal enjoyment of life.
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the financial
fruits of our labor. God wants us to do so. The important question is this: Are
you spending completely on things that pass away like a vapor—or are you
investing significantly in the things of God, which do not?
2. Christian Philanthropists
The next category of believers is one that gives
more attention to giving. These are believers who have come to the
conviction that God has blessed them, and they should give back a portion of
what they’ve received to help support ministry and missions. For them,
this is somewhat of a duty, an obligation to fulfill, like paying taxes.
There’s an “oughtness” that guides them. They write a check or volunteer in
some way, but there is no joy or purpose in it.
Perhaps it’s the way they were taught by their
parents. Perhaps it is motivated by the sense of duty so that the church can
fund some project overseas, or pay its budget, or provide some program. Perhaps
it’s giving out of guilt. The important distinction is that it is “doing what I
have to.” As a result, it’s not something particularly pleasant or enjoyable.
Kingdom
investors are motivated by the rewards that the Bible promises.
3. Kingdom Investors
There is one other kind of Christian giver and, as
you might predict, this one is harder to find among us. The Kingdom Investors
are people who grow in Christ, who dig deeply into his Word, and who come to
see their resources in a brand new way.
Kingdom Investors see all that they
have and all that they own as their sacred trust, theirs to use strategically
for the advancement of Christ and his eternal purposes. Their time,
talent and treasure is no longer an end in itself, but a medium, a palette to
be used in the beautiful art of serving God.
Who are these people? You’ll find them across the
spectrum. The Kingdom Investors deploy whatever time, talent, and treasure they
have available, and it’s a pleasing truth that while not everyone can invest
great sums of financial wealth, everyone can give their time and their personal
talents. These are all things that God has given so that we might find the
unique joy of giving them back.
Do you merely see your giving as an obligation or
duty, or does it give you joy?
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