I just recently wrote about not being able to serve God and money at the same time.  It’s a pretty difficult concept, one I’m still trying to sort out myself.  Not to mention how it goes against the grain to an obscene degree.  Especially when you read Matthew 6:25-34 and actually try to walk it out!

    Let me tell you what being free from the bonds of money ISN’T.  It ISN’T having a lot of money saved up in the bank account, or having stock here and there just "in case" something happens you have the safety net of what some consider "financial security".  This may be a shock.  If you think being free from money means that you have a lot of it, that still reveals you are still in the bonds of it.  Anytime money is a measure of anything reveals that we are still living according to this world.  (It’s ok to have money in those terms, but the measure of it, whether a litle or a lot, cannot determine how you will live according to the Kingdom)

    Am I perfect in this?  By all means no!  But I am letting God work this out of me, remember, IT’S A PROCESS! 

    There is a lot of teaching (Good teaching) in the church about being good stewards of the things God gives you, money included if not foremost.  These are good teachings, but these teachings still keep you in bondage to money.  Thinking that you aren’t truly free unless you have a proper emergency fund, life/health/auto insurance, retirement funds, etc.  Money is still the master in these teachings.

    There are too many Christians who let money dictate whether they will/or to what extent they can serve God in their lives.  “I can’t do [*insert christian activity here*] because I have to work.”  Well, why do you have to work?  “I have bills to pay.”  Well, get rid of the bills!!  It’s really that simple.  Start by reducing your need for income.  This may require selling your car and getting something cheaper, something you can PAY FOR.  It may require selling your house (if you have a house payment/rent, it is probably your most demanding financial commitment), start thinking of ways to get out of it.  Yeah, these aren’t normal things to think about, it will require some creativity, but if we are going to be free from money, we really need to be free from it.  There is a lot we can do on our part to start to accomplish that.  Getting rid of all the fluff is a great place to start!

    Don’t let not having enough money (saved or income) keep you from serving the Lord according to His word.

    Have you ever looked at Jesus’ financial situation?  How did Jesus get His needs met?  Remember the tax bill that had to be paid (Matthew 17:27)?  What about the 5,000 hungry people:

"Jesus soon saw a great crowd of people climbing the hill, looking for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, "Philip, where can we buy bread to feed all these people?" 6 He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. "
John 6:5-6

    Did you read that?  Jesus asked Philip KNOWING that He was going to feed them supernaturally!  It was a trick question to see where Philip’s mind was.  Was it on the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of this world?

"7 Philip replied, "It would take a small fortune to feed them!" 8 Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. 9 "There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?"
John 6:7-9

    What was Philip’s first response to the test?  He was thinking according to the world and not the Kingdom of God.  He looked and measured it by how much money they had.  They couldn’t meet the need because they didn’t have the required funds.

    I wonder if sometimes Jesus asks us questions like that to test us?  I wonder how dissapointed He is after 2000 years His followers still have a tough time believing Him and walking in His Kingdom.

    Here’s what would happen in today’s scenario if we had such a drastic financial need as feeding 5,000+ people.  We would reach into our pockets to check for cash.  If we didn’t have the money there we’d look at how much money we had in our checking account.  If the money wasn’t there we’d look at our credit card balances.  If we didn’t have enough there we’d take out a loan from the bank.  When do we decide to trust God?  When do we let the Kingdom of God operate in our lives?

    It’s so difficult in these days to think according to the Kingdom of God because we have so many safety nets to fall back on.  There isn’t any need to “trust God”, when you have a bank down the street who is willing to loan you the money at a mere 10% interest.  It almost looks stupid to wait on God.  Your on your knees seeking God for provision for your need and your family is looking at you like an idiot,  “Just use your credit card.”  It looks foolish to “go without” when it’s so easy to just "go get it".

    Matthew 6:33 says to seek the Kingdom of God FIRST, not as a last resort.  Seeking the Kingdom should be your life blood, it should be all you do.  The promise is that if you are seeking the Kingdom first all your needs will come to you.