Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5
During the weekend message, we were asked the question, “Does our money have control of us, or do we have control of our money?” Indeed, this is an important question for us to answer. You see, the answer to this question will impact every area of our lives. If our money controls us, we will live enslaved to it, constantly chasing more and more, holding on to every penny we earn, convinced we need every bit of money we make for ourselves. If we, on the other hand, control our money, we will live free from the grasp of money, seeking to steward our finances well with open hands rather than clenched fists.
We are reminded in Hebrews 13 of the importance of not being controlled by our money. The writer of Hebrews said to his readers in this passage of Scripture: “Don’t love money,” a very straightforward command (verse 5). It serves as a warning to us. You see, we are consumed by and motivated by the things that we love. If we love money and the things that it can buy, we will be controlled by it. The things we say and do will be centered around our love for money. In other words, love of money will leave us entrapped and enslaved. There is a better way of living for followers of Christ than being controlled by money, and that is loving God above everything. That is why the writer of Hebrews continued, “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, ‘I will never fail you, I will never abandon you’” (verse 5). Instead of being consumed by greed, we are called to be content with what God has given us. Why can we be content? We can be content because we have a God who will “never” fail us or let us down. He will never leave us. As a result, He will always provide for us and take care of us, according to our needs. He is the one we can look to for providing for and taking care of us. He is fully reliable; money is not.
You have a choice to make, my friend. Will you look to money and what money can buy, which is fleeting and fickle, or will you look to God, who never leaves us or lets us down? Only God can truly meet your every need. Look to Him and Him alone to provide for you and meet your every need.
Take a few moments now to answer the question honestly that you were asked during the weekend message: “Does your money have control of you, or do you have control of your money?” Ask God to search your heart as you answer this question so that you can see any blind spots in your life when it comes to how you manage your money. As you answer this question, ask God to help you let go of your grip on your money so that it does not have a hold on you.
Prayer Prompt: Use this prompt to guide you as you pray.
“God, as I reflect on blind spots when it comes to how I view money, search me…”
Going Deeper
Hebrews 13:1-13
Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. 2 Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! 3 Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.
4 Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
“I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
6 So we can say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”
7 Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.
10 We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. 12 So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. 13 So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore.
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