Money can be a brutal master. The implications of letting your money master you has affects both on your spiritual health and your lifestyle. For instance, idolizing wealth can distract you from your walk of faith while also leading you to make poor spending choices. However, it’s hard to keep the line straight between using your money for God and letting it master you.
Could money be mastering you, even though you know God provides? 3 signs to pay attention to:
Sign #1: Money Makes You Worry
It’s no accident that the famous verse “you cannot serve both God and money” comes right before “do not worry” (Matthew 6 NIV.) When money is your master, you worry about your finances. As the Scripture passage says, you forget that it is God who provides for you, so you act like financial gain is your security.
It’s understandable. Money really does matter.
But when finances are what you put your hope in, you are led to make most decisions in life based off of projected financial gains and losses. For many people, this equates to living in fear and using money for selfish pursuits.
Live freely instead.
The truth is, your finances will never be enough to provide for everything you need- but God provides for everything. He will provide for you in ways that money can’t. For example, God can give you love, peace, and growth as a person of character. Money can’t buy those priceless qualities.
Sign #2: You are Afraid to Use Your Money
Another Biblical example of letting money master you is found in Matthew 25 (ESV.) Also called the parable of the talents, this Bible passage explains how three servants responded to being made responsible for stewarding the masters’ money. Two put their talents to good use, causing their blessing to multiply. One servant hid the money because he was too afraid of what would happen if he lost it to steward it properly.
God is clear in this parable, so listen up.
When fear of money leads you to hide it or horde it instead of using it for good, you may be fearing money more than you fear God. After all, God wants His people to use their money along with everything else He provides to live life to His glory.
In the Bible, God encourages generosity, earning an honest living, and using money wisely in order to be equipped for good works. God gives talents, including finances, to His servants. He is pleased when you use what He gives you.
Sign #3: You Compare Your Finances’ to Others’
Jealousy is often a culprit behind the mismanagement and idolization of money. For most people, jealousy is behind a lot of poor decisions!
In Matthew 20, Jesus tells a story about workers in a vineyard getting upset when the owner of the business paid them unfairly. Money often masters people when they get jealous, feeling that God is only allowing others to succeed financially.
However, God says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10 NIV.) Jesus, in explaining the parable, also said that it is up to God to give as He pleases.
What God has given you is good. Your finances are a blessing.
Be grateful for what God provides for you instead of getting jealous about what others have received. Otherwise, you may let money determine your perspective on God and life. As a result of letting money master you in this way, you will feel more limited and less loved than you truly are. If God is your master instead, you will know that His gifts are good, even others’ gifts are tempting.
What To Do If You Are Being Mastered By Money
Each of these three signs that money is mastering you is common. Many people struggle with these perspectives at different times in life, myself included.
The key to dismissing money as a master and obeying God alone is remembering who God is and what He promises you.
God is a good master who loves you and takes care of you. Unlike money, God is not worldly. God does not encourage selfishness, but asks you to trust Him to provide. You don’t need to let worry, fear, or jealousy make money seem more powerful than it is because you know God almighty!
When you feel like money is more powerful than God, think about the limitations of finances:
- Money can’t provide everything you need
- Money is just a tool
- Money is temporal, it has no effect on eternity
- Financial institutions fail; God does not
Keep the truth about money in your mind as you keep the truth about God on your heart. God is a much better master and the temptations of money are hollow.
Article submitted by Bethany McIlrath:
Bethany McIlrath is a freelance writer who is grateful for the Gospel. She writes on a variety of topics, but her favorite subjects connect faith to real life. You can connect with Bethany on her website or on social media.