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It All Belongs to God: A Devotional

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Psalm 50:10-12 – “For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is Mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and all it contains.”

Our Nature

For you and me it was an old worn out tool, but to a little boy it was a treasure … and it was mine! Little Aaron was playing with daddy’s tool belt left on the floor after a long day of work. Quickly he noticed the most fascinating multifunction screwdriver and took off to accomplish some minor repairs around the house. It was just an old tool, but to Aaron it was a new treasure and he had no intentions of returning it back to his father.

More than likely if you have children in your life this story sounds all too familiar to you. Have you ever sat and thought about the fact that we don’t have to teach our children how to take what is not theirs? Unfortunately, it comes naturally as a result of our fallen nature. How often do we respond like Aaron did to our Heavenly Father?

The Fall

In fact, it was a case of misplaced ownership that led to the fall of man. The Lord gave clear instructions to His first children on earth, Adam and Eve, in reference to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil by stating “You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.” Yet they gave into the temptation from the enemy and ate the forbidden fruit. Ultimately, it was a futile attempt to gain something that was rightfully not theirs in the first place and their actions created severe consequences for the entire human race.

James 4:14, states that our lives are, “just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” In 2 Peter 3:8, we see that “with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.” Our lives are short in the sight of an eternal God.

Everything Belongs to God

In a similar way that Aaron was entrusted for a brief time with his father’s screwdriver, so we are entrusted with a portion of God’s resources: our time, family, home, car, financial resources, gifts, abilities and everything else. They’re His and when we give to support His work, we are only returning what was rightfully His in the first place.

Malachi 3:8-9 provides a firm warning for us to consider when we are not faithful with what is rightfully God’s. It states, “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, “How have we robbed You? In tithes and offerings.” “You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you!”

When we embrace the truth that everything belongs to God it causes us to realize that we must hold on loosely to all that God has provided us and seek His face for wisdom so that we are faithful stewards for the short time we have on earth.

Personal Application – Seeking Your Input

I think it’s important that disciples begin to discuss what it means to be a steward again.  Notice, I didn’t say “stewardship”, but steward, because a steward communicates that this is a personal responsibility and not just another topic to discuss.  We are stewards of God’s resources and must grow in that role or we will be like a stagnant pond.  Giving and generosity have become taboo topics in many churches and most pastors are not providing solid biblical teaching and discipleship in this area.  I don’t know about you, but when I’m struggling with something, part of my growth process is sharing with other disciples for wisdom and being teachable.  If we never talk about this, how can we expect to grow?

Here are a few questions for us to get the conversation started:

  1. How often does your pastor preach or teach on generosity?  Do you feel equipped in this area of your life?
  2. What has specifically helped you to transfer from an attitude of an owner to that of a steward?
  3. Is there something in your life that you have not completely given over to God?  Share anonymously what that is and allow other ChristianPF readers to pray with you.

Leave your answers in the comments below!

If you would like additional free biblical resources on stewardship, visit one of these websites below:

How Much to Pay a Pastor for a Wedding

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How much to pay a pastor for a weddingMany of you who plan to get married in the future can think right away of the pastor you would want to do your wedding.

Even if you don’t, nearly every state requires a member of the clergy to officiate a legally recognized wedding.

Since this is the case and because budgeting is such a key component of planning a successful wedding, how much should you pay a pastor for a wedding?

What are other key factors should you keep in mind when you contact your pastor?

What is the typical compensation range for a pastor who does your wedding?

Total compensation can vary based on the amount of time and effort you receive from your pastor.  For example, some pastors require as many as four to six pre-marital counseling sessions prior to that special day. If you are receiving that counseling from another source, then it will obviously require less time, although the officiating pastor will want input from those sessions.  Regardless, most pastors won’t simply “show up” for that special day without some preparation involved.  Here is a suggested pay scale for pastors depending on the circumstances:

  • Greater than $300 – A generous gift
  • $300 – A wedding with advance preparation and pre-marital counseling
  • $150 – A wedding with some advance preparation but no pre-marital counseling
  • $100 – A small wedding with little preparation

I can speak from personal experience of the value of pre-marital counseling.  God used that time to confirm many things about our decision but also revealed areas we needed to be better equipped and prepared for as a couple.  One pastor that has conducted numerous weddings states:

Couples come to the pastor thinking that they know everything when they are ignorant of what they don’t know.  Here is a “Questions for Better Communication” sheet that I use to send couples out on a date to simply talk about those questions that they haven’t asked each other yet.  I have yet to have a couple come back that says, “We have already talked about all of these before.”

(Still not sure how much to give? Here are some giving quotes for inspiration.)

How much notice is recommended?

Every pastor I spoke with stated, “The sooner the better”, but all indicated that the ideal amount of lead time to officiate a wedding is six to nine months.  Most pastors have a very busy schedule and anything less will make it difficult to work into their ministry plans for the year.  Also, a six to nine month notice provides the necessary time to schedule and complete any pre-marital counseling.  Notices two to three months or less will most like find the pastor’s schedule already filled.

What questions should I be prepared to answer when I call the pastor?

As I surveyed pastors, four common questions surfaced:

  • When do you want to get married (date and time)?
  • Where do you want to get married?
  • Do you have someone doing pre-marital counseling with you?  If not, are you willing to go through that together?
  • When can we meet together to do some initial talking and planning?

What are other important considerations will a pastor take into consideration?

  • Plan early and often – Most pastors will want the couple to think through what they want and not look to the pastor as a sort of pseudo-wedding coordinator.
  • Similar spiritual convictions – Pastors will want to determine if both the husband and wife recognize that the basis of authority for their marriage is the Bible.  In addition, he will dig deeper to determine if both view marriage as a partnership and are on the same page.  For example, are future plans, mutual plans?  Are both sensitive to each other’s needs and desires, and how they will do life together, etc.?
  • Be honest and forthright – The officiating pastor will need this to know where they stand and to serve you effectively.  Important questions need to be addressed, such as are you marrying in opposition to your parents’ will? Are you pregnant and trying to hurry things along?  Have you been married before?  Some of this will come out in your pre-marital discussions but you should not allow for any surprises. Get the whole story out there and allow the pastor to make an informed decision about participating with you in your blessed day.
  • Follow-through – Determine up front if you are willing to follow through with the recommendations of the pastor, such as timing, issues that arise in pre-marital counseling, and other observations that may surface from an outside person looking in at your relationship.
  • Enjoy the journey  – It is far too easy for couples to get caught up in trying to please numerous people, manage budgets, etc., and miss out on the joy that can be experienced leading up to the big day.  Purpose up front to not become overwhelmed and to enjoy each moment together.

If you’re married, share your experience with the readers.  How much did you pay your pastor for your wedding?  Leave a comment below!

How Giving is a Spiritual Discipline

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“Stewardship is God’s way of raising people, not man’s way of raising money” (Willmer, Smith. 2002.)1

In Romans 12:8 we learn that some excel in the gift of giving, but what about everyone else?  We’ve all heard of spiritual disciplines such as prayer, worship, Bible study and fasting, but what about giving?

In Romans 12:1 the Lord calls us to a life of complete commitment to Him by urging each of us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices.  The idea here is that we are, “all in”, so it’s important that we ask ourselves if there are any areas of our life that are not completely surrendered to, and under, the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  In other words, have you only given the Lord part of your life as a sacrifice?  Are there areas in your life that are currently off limits or that have not been fully surrendered to Him?  Oftentimes, this area is how we steward the time, talent and treasure entrusted to us by God.  We see an example of this separation in Luke 18:18-23 when a certain ruler asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life.  Unfortunately, while he was a good person, his possessions owned him vs. the other way around and we are left with a sad ending.

This causes us to look deep within our day-to-day habits and routines and ensure that every area of our life is affected by our walk with Christ.  After all, our walk with the Lord is comprised of much more than a spiritual high during a Sunday morning worship service or simply listening to the word of God and not doing what it says.  We are called to be 24/7/365 Christians and our role as stewards is an essential part of the equation.  Or, as Dr. Wesley Wilmer and Martyn Smith (2002) state in, God & Your Stuff, “God is not indifferent to our daily financial choices, but is interested in transforming all of our lives” (p.23).

What Scripture says about Possessions

“Possessions are mentioned 2,172 times in Scripture—three times more than love, seven times more than prayer and eight times more than belief.  About 15 percent of God’s Word deals with possessions—treasures hidden in a field, pearls, talents, pounds, stables, and so on.  Obviously God understood that believers would find this a difficult area of their lives to turn over to Him” (Willmer and Smith, 2002, p. 9).

There are four key points the Lord brings forth in Scripture regarding our possessions:

  1. God owns everything and has provided us all that we have (Psalm 50:10-12, Psalm 115:16)
  2. We are stewards of what God has provided, which involves management not ownership (1 Pet. 4:10)
  3. Everyone human being was created to give (Gen. 4:4, Lev. 27:30, Prov. 3:9)
  4. Each one of us will give an account of how we manage the resources God has given us (Rom. 14:12, 2 Cor. 5:10)

So how do we integrate giving into our entire Christian life?  Because giving is a spiritual discipline it requires a long-term commitment as well as the day-to-day steps that will help ensure we are fully surrendered to God as stewards.  Here are three tips that will help exercise the spiritual discipline of giving:

  1. Declaring Jesus Christ as Lord and Live out that Declaration – This is the first step on the road of biblical stewardship and living a life of generosity.  How we handle our possessions is a reflection of Christ and His Lordship over our lives.  If He is Lord, then we realize we are merely stewards of the time, talent and treasure God has entrusted to us.  If He is not Lord, then we will continue to see it as our money, our time and our abilities and live accordingly.  It’s a choice between two masters and the Lord makes it clear that none of us can serve two masters.  You may find it helpful to wake up and pray, “Lord Jesus, today I choose to pick up my cross and follow you.  May every aspect of my life be fully surrendered to you today”.
  2. Understand God’s Word as it Relates to Stewardship- Take time read and study passages such as Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 16:1-9, as well as reading books about biblical stewardship.  Click here to access 250 verses about money.  You can also sign up for an RSS feed that provides one stewardship verse for every day of the year to help cultivate the spiritual discipline of giving.  There’s too much at stake to not understand and grow spiritually in this area of our lives.
  3. Give to the Lord first no matter what the circumstances – This is another step each of us can take to become more like Christ in the area of stewardship.  Rather than paying all the bills and seeing what’s left for God, practice giving God the first fruits of what He has given you.  Each one of us should practice consistently giving according to our means and not robbing God when times get tough.  Don’t wait to get out of debt before taking the first steps of obedience.  Start now, and demonstrate to the Lord that you will no longer let worldly debt compete with your devotion and commitment to Him.

Readers: How do you exercise the spiritual gift of giving?  What steps have you taken to exercise this discipline on regular basis? 

1 – (Willmer, Smith. God and Your Stuff. NavPress 2002. p.9).

What’s the Best Way to Help the Poor?

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What is the best way to help the poor?At first blush, this question might seem like a no-brainer to readers.

But, who are the poor? What does God’s Word say about the poor? How do we effectively help the poor? Let’s dig in!

Who are the poor?

Because all of us come from different backgrounds, cultures, and expectations, what we define as poor, may not actually be poor to others or even in God’s eyes.

Determining who the poor really are can become a very subjective exercise. To prevent that we must first establish a common understanding of whom the poor are as presented in the Scriptures.

The two primary Greek words used in the New Testament for the word poor are penichros and ptōchos.

Penichros is defined as needy while ptōchos has more severe implications meaning reduced to beggary, destitute of wealth, influence, position, honor, lowly, afflicted, helpless, powerless to accomplish an end, lacking in anything.

John MacArthur writes, “The word commonly used for ordinary poverty was penichros, and is used of the widow Jesus saw giving an offering in the Temple. She had very little, but she did have two small copper coins (see Luke 21:2). She was poor but not a beggar. One who is penichros poor has at least some meager resources. One who is ptōchos poor, however, is completely dependent on others for sustenance. He has absolutely no means of self-support.”

For the purpose of this article, I’ve chosen to focus on the ptōchos poor, those that are helpless and lack everything.

Two Kinds of Poverty

The New Testament describes two kinds of ptōchos poverty:

1.  Materially Poor – But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, . . . . (Matthew 6:3 NIV).

This verse clearly points out the existence of the materially poor. This is not a command to give from Jesus but a description of how we are to give (quietly). This verse primarily strikes at our motive for giving to the poor as it comes in the context of a warning from Jesus to not practice acts of righteousness so that others will notice.

2.  Spiritually Poor – Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3 NIV)

This verse speaks of those who are spiritually poor and how they are blessed because of their poverty.  Matthew Henry’s concise commentary shares this insight, “The poor in spirit are happy. These bring their minds to their condition, when it is a low condition. They are humble and lowly in their own eyes. They see their want, bewail their guilt, and thirst after a Redeemer. The kingdom of grace is of such; the kingdom of glory is for them.”

Obviously, no one desires material poverty, but this verse makes it clear that all of us should desire a spiritual poverty that recognizes the need for forgiveness, a savior and God’s continued presence in our lives.

To keep this article focused and brief, we will focus on the materially poor.

What the Scriptures Reveal about God and Poverty

There are many Scriptures that address the God’s heart for and perspective of the poor but I have selected just a few to help us draw a conclusion to the subject question:

  1. Giving and helping the poor is core to God’s character: As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” (2 Corinthians 9:9 NIV) Also, 1 Samuel 2:8 NIV shares, “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes
    and has them inherit a throne of honor. “For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; on them he has set the world.”
  2. Jesus assumes we will be giving to the poor (notice not “if” but “when”): “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.” (Matthew 6:2 NIV)
  3. True followers of Christ gave to the poor: “But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” (Luke 19:8 NIV) Paul was eager to give as well: “All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.” (Galatians 2:10 NIV)
  4. When we give to the poor, we are giving to God: “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” (Proverbs 19:17 NIV)
  5. When we give to the poor, it honors God: “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,
    but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” (Proverbs 14:31 NIV)
  6. The Israelites were commanded to provide for the poor and were blessed for their generosity:  “At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.” (Deuteronomy 14:28-29 NIV)
  7. Not helping the poor was reason for judgment in the past: “ ‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.” (Ezekiel 16:49 NIV)
  8. It will be a topic at the future judgment: “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
    “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
    “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
    “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
    “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
    “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
    “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25:34-46 NIV)

Specific Commands from Jesus and His Word

Here are three specific commands from Jesus and His Word. One to the rich young ruler wondering what his life lacked and the others to more general audiences of followers:

  • “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. (Matthew 19:20-22 NIV)
  • Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14:12-14 NIV)
  • If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:17-18 NIV)

While the first is a specific command to an individual, the principles apply to all of Christ’s followers, which is that we must give generously to the poor, and that when we do, it’s an eternal investment. Luke 14:12-14 clearly shares Jesus’ heart toward the poor and needy and is a specific command to His followers to be intentional about reaching out and providing for them. The passage in 1 John is a clear warning to those who say they are Christ’s followers but the actions don’t align with their proclaimed faith. In this verse, we are compelled to provide for those in need.

How can we help the materially poor?

After just a brief review of Scripture it becomes very clear that we are commanded to help the poor. God demonstrates His heart for the poor and needy by His own example, through His promises for those who do, and through His perfect judgments for those who don’t. But how does one give to the poor effectively? Here are four suggestions:

1. Give strategically through a trusted ministry or foundation.

You can effectively give your time and talents to the poor by supporting a local rescue mission or community organization that is trusted and has a proven track record helping the poor and needy. Knowing how to choose the best charities is important. If your church has a direct ministry to the poor and needy, this is a great starting place!

2. Give strategically by giving more than money.

Effective long-term support of the poor and needy typically requires more than money. For the poor and needy who are mentally and physically able to recover, I encourage readers to plug in with respected and trusted ministries and community organizations to give by sharing practical skills, such as job/vocational skills, budgeting, and basic life skills that will effectively empower those in need for long-term recovery.

3. Give spontaneously and cheerfully.

I’m often asked, “Should I give to the beggar on the street corner?” Many are rightfully skeptical due to recent scandals of pan handlers who are not truly in need. My advice is to listen to the Holy Spirit. If you sense a burden or call to give, then give cheerfully and obediently. If you don’t, then don’t give. If your motive is pure, you will never regret a decision to give. Now this advice can only be successful if you are asking God and listening to Him.

4. Get equipped.

I recommend two books that will equip you with how to effectively help the poor. The first is When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. A second resource is titled, Giving Wisely by Jonathan Martin.

How about you? Have you found an effective way to help the poor that would equip other readers? Share any lessons you learned as well!