Giving to your church makes real ministry happen, and it’s important to contribute to your church community. The truth is, churches need income to survive. Most churches are in the middle of a stewardship campaign right now, or will be starting one soon. And I admit that this privilege has made me lazy about giving all I can. I am privileged that I am able to supply my emergency fund, my savings, and my retirement plan. I am privileged that I don’t live from paycheck to paycheck. I think my point is that it’s no excuse for me to say I’m just not that focused on money or how I spend it. Yet, I am moved by the challenge of it, and I certainly agree to the principles as Wesley lays them out. I simply confess that I have not been that aware of my spending habits. He challenges us to think about every purchase and whether it brings glory to God. Not because I’m a stingy person, but John Wesley calls me to a diligence in how I attend to my finances that I’m just not used to. It was about giving all you can, going above and beyond if you are able, to build up the kingdom of God. For Wesley, it wasn’t about giving a 10% tithe to the church. And therefore we must use the gifts God has given us to care for the poor. John leans into the biblical understanding of stewardship, that the wealth we have gained is not truly ours, but belongs to the Lord. Instead, John commends us to save what we have gained and not spend it away on luxuries.īy gaining all we can and then saving all we can, we must then give all we can. Most of us are tempted to keep up with the Joneses, to live beyond our means, assuming that as our income raises, so should our lifestyle. The purpose behind saving all you can is to live a life of simplicity. We must earn our money in ways that build up the kingdom of God in ourselves, in others, and in the world. This is not a "gain all you can at all costs," no. When John tells us to gain all we can, he then lays out the ethics for a healthy and responsible work life that respects the dignity of all people and creation. Each principle goes deep into the heart of holiness and discipleship. Gain all you can, Save all you can, Give all you can. John Wesley preached a radical sermon called “ The Use of Money.” In it, he laid out three principles for using wealth to build up the kingdom of God. But Zacchaeus gave away have his possessions to the poor and paid back beyond what he owed to everyone and Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:9). The first was unwilling to leave behind his possessions, and Jesus mentioned how difficult it was for the rich to enter the kingdom.
He recognized that building up earthly treasure could very easily become a distraction from pursuing the kingdom of God.Ĭompare the two interactions Jesus had with the rich young man and with Zacchaeus. Jesus’ primary concern was teaching us that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and that Jesus is making the way for us to enter in. You cannot serve God and wealth” (Matthew 6:24). Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other. For example, “No one can serve two masters.
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