Biblical Financial Principle #6a - Cheerfully and Willingly Invest in God's Kingdom

Cheerfully and willingly invest time, talents and assets in God’s Kingdom:

One of our greatest challenges in financial management is incorrect priorities. We must put God and His Kingdom and His desires at the very top of our "list:"

Proverbs 11:4 – “Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” (NIV)

Psalm 100:2 – “Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (NIV) (The NKJV says: “Serve the Lord with gladness…”)

After Israel’s battle with the Midianites the army officers came to Moses “and said to him, ‘Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing. So we have brought as an offering to the Lord the gold articles each of us acquired--armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces--to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord.’" ( Numbers 31:49-50) This was apparently a voluntary offering of all the gold taken in battle.

Deut. 16:17 – “Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.” (NIV)

God had given Moses the plans for the Tabernacle and it was time to begin construction. The Lord commanded that an offering be taken but did not designate who was to give or any specific amount that was to be given. “From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering of gold, silver and bronze;… and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments. All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord.” (Exodus 35:5 & 21-22)

As construction was moving forward: “They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work and said to Moses, ‘The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done.’ Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: ‘No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.’ And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.” (Exodus 36:3-7)

Mat. 6:20-21 – “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (NIV)

Gal. 6:6 – “Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.” (NIV)

Paul had a great heart for helping God’s people. He emphasized that our generosity must have the right attitude as its foundation when he said: "If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." (1 Cor. 13:3 – NIV)

More on Principle #6 in the next post...Visit the "Life Navigation" web site for free video seminars on the economy, finances, resumes, interview tips and more.