Sunday Thought 80

Believe it or not finances are an important topic throughout scripture. One place that I find  the discussion interesting is in Exodus chapter 20, where we find the 10 commandments. The Big 10 – of all the places God would discuss money principles I find this amazing. These commandments are so important that they are given on a mountaintop by God himself, with lightning and thunder, and they are carved in stone. And within those 10 commandments are two concerning money!

Along side such important things in our relationship with God such as having no other gods before Him, not making idols, not taking the name of the Lord in vain, and remembering the sabbath day, there is “Though shall not steal”, and “you shall not covet.” Amazing!

God knows our hearts. We always want what we cannot have. From the very beginning in the garden of Eden, when there was only one thing we couldn’t have, we wanted it! And now at the beginning of the forming of a new nation, God is building a theocracy based upon His law, and He knows that man’s heart still craves what he cannot have and so he addresses this with two laws that deal with stealing and coveting.

And if we think things have changed, all we need to do is go to the New Testament in the book of James:

what is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder (another top 10!). You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel.

The love of money is the root of all evil! How are we doing with our hearts toward money? Do we control our money or does it control us?