No Servant can serve two masters

Have you heard about the dying man who won the lottery?  Concerned that the excitement would be too much for him, the man’s family asked their parish priest to tell him the good news.  When the pastor told the man that he had won $10 million, the man replied, ” I want to give half of it to the Church.”  The priest was so surprised that he had a heart attack.  This story tells us how much of an impact money can have on us.

What is your attitude toward money?  Here are a few ideas that might help you answer that question.

First, having money is not a sin.  It is our love of money that separates us from God.  Jesus wants to be first in our lives – above our money and possessions.

Second, Jesus asks us to bee good stewards of our money.  He wants us to be prudent, honest, and responsible.  We should never allow greed or dishonesty to dominate us.  Instead, we should us our money wisely, invest it wisely, and be as generous as we can.

Third, donating to the Church and other charities, even if we can give only a small amount, is a key aspect of our stewardship.  Scripture calls us to hear ” the cry of the poor”.  We can be assured that whenever we give away our earthly treasures, God will reward us with heavenly treasures – “eternal dwellings”.

Finally, remember that your money is not yours; it belongs to God.  The moment you die, you will no longer own your money.  Yes you can give it to your children or to charity.  However, money will be absolutely useless to you.  The only way it will matter is the degree to which you have used it to help people; your family, your friends, the Church, and the poor.

Money is a very complex and emotional topic, so ask the Holy Spirit to help you learn how to keep it in the right perspective.

-Word among us