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"But God said to him, 'You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get it all?" The Bible, Luke chapter 12 verse 20 verse 6 |
What is God's viewpoint of our possessions? Generally speaking, God gives us a perfectly plain and understandable answer to this question: "After all, we didn't bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die" (1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 7).
So how should we regard our possessions? It is very foolish to get too attached to any possession because possessions can be very transitory: cars rust, get damaged or maybe stolen; people change or perhaps deceive us; investments are very uncertain; money, if not used correctly, is simply something to continually worry about; books get lost, stolen or damaged, and even time is a very fleeting possession.
I often look at my own books, some of which I have had for more than half a century. Some are from the 1800s and they have touching inscriptions designating that they were once a loving gift from someone to someone else. In due course these people have died and I now have that once-treasured possession. I call it "mine."
As I look at "my" books, I often wonder whose hands will touch them in the future, perhaps a hundred or more years from now. These future owners will know as much about me, the previous "owner" of "their" books, as I know of my previous owners! "My" books will be "their" books. So who will have them when I am gone? Oh yes, I will leave them to my heirs but will they want them? Some books yes, but certainly not all of them!
It is obvious that I do not really "own" any of "my" books in a real sense but I simply have them for now. They can also be taken from me by means of theft, fire, decay or any of the other ills to which all possessions are prone. Our principle possession, time, ticks away inexorably and the present becomes the past in no time at all. We certainly do not own time, although we do have a little (though always transitory) control over what we do with it.
What is true of books is true of all possessions, including time. Jesus teaches in detail about possessions in Luke chapter 12 verses 13 to 34. This passage is very helpful and straightforward until Jesus says, "Sell what you have and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven!" I confess that this is another of those areas where I am still "seeking and feeling." For instance, if I do this literally, I quickly join the ranks of the poor and needy and I can no longer do anything for them.
At the very least, Jesus is telling us that we should not ignore the poor and needy. Many other Bible passages on this subject indicate that we are given "possessions," not for our absolute and exclusive use, but to use for the good of others. We should hold all these things lightly in our hands because laying up treasure for ourselves is not what God requires. Then an odd thing happens: when we are generous we reap rewards of all kinds which are quite out of proportion to what we have given!
Anyone who takes giving seriously soon comes upon a whole host of related problems. These problems extend the concept of "seeking and feeling after God" because we are forced to look for guidance. Who or what should we give to? How much? How often? Money, goods or time?
Throughout the Bible God makes it plain that we should care for the poor, the needy, the sick, the hungry, the destitute, widows, orphans, prisoners; the list goes on and on. In general, if there is a genuine need, whether for money, goods or time, God requires us to do what we can to alleviate that need. From God's viewpoint, people are of prime importance in this scheme of things - any people, not just those we consider "worthy." We are further required to take special care of family members and our brothers and sisters "in the faith" (Mark chapter 7 verses 10 to 13, Galatians chapter 6 verse 10).
Then we have the problem of swindlers, cheats and layabouts. It is a very sad fact that even charities can be used by the unscrupulous for making money for themselves or for some other bad purpose. Should we give to people or organisations such as these?
In the case of swindlers, cheats or layabouts, it is important to remember God's viewpoint that the person is all-important. The reason for giving in the first place is for the good of that person. Therefore, if such a person has a self-destructive, bad or evil lifestyle, and will obviously use your gifts to further his/her aims, then giving to that person should be witheld. The greater good of that person is at stake and giving money could prevent that person from facing reality.
In the case of swindlers within charities, giving should not be withheld unless the situation is being ignored by those in charge. Interestingly, Jesus gives no specific guidance for these eventualities and I think that dealing with such problems is partly a matter of common sense. It is significant, perhaps, that problems such as these encourage us to "seek and feel after God" in a very practical way.
A thorny question and one which only the individual giver can answer. For my own part, I regard at least a tenth of my income as "must be given away." I can assure you that it goes very rapidly and I sometimes find myself struggling a little until the next monthly payment comes in! This is not the fault of my giving, but it happens because I go out and buy some luxury that I had not really planned for.
God's viewpoint of our possessions is that we should use all of them, including time, for the benefit of others. This includes any single human being, or any benign organisation with a real need; the poor, the hungry, the church, charities, etc. We are encouraged to give carefully and thoughtfully and always for the real good of the people concerned.
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Page updated 12 May 2004