Wanneer dit by geld en besittings kom kan die Bybel soms ekstreem wees, soms skokkend. Wanneer ons na die Skrif gaan, is dit vir troos, nie vir aanvalle teen ons wêreldbeskouing nie, reg? Laat God oor liefde en genade praat, dankie. Laat ons oor geld en besittings praat — dan doen ons daarmee net wat ons wil.

Baie van ons sal sê dat ons eerlik was.

Sommige gelowiges vra moeilike vrae vir mekaar. “Het jy tyd met die Woord deurgebring? Jou geloof gedeel? Jou seksuele reinheid bewaak?” Tog, hoe gereeld vra ons: “Wen jy die stryd teen materialisme?” Of: “Het jy na daardie uitlokkende tydskrifte en webwerwe geloer? Jy weet, daardie wat jou tot gierigheid verlei?”

Mense is selfs meer openhartig oor hul seksuele probleme as oor hul stryd teen materialisme, wat dalk die laaste grens is. Sommige kerke praat wel oor hoe om uit skuld te kom. Ek salueer dit. Maar jy kan skuldvry wees en steeds suinig en gierig wees. Ons hoef nie slimmer materialiste te word nie; ons moet ons van materialisme bekeer en slim rentmeesters word.

Jesus sien ons harte en ken ons baie goed. Hy vra nie alle dissipels om alles weg te gee nie. Hy vra ons wel om radikaal op te tree sodat ons ons bande met geld en besittings kan verbreek en vrylik onder Sy heerskappy kan leef. Hy roep ons almal op om alle sekondêre skatte te onttroon om Hom as ons primêre skat te verhef. As ons meer waarde heg aan enigiets of enigiemand as wat ons Jesus waardeer, is ons nie sy dissipels nie.

Wat ons met ons geld doen is nie net ‘n aanduiding van waar ons hart is nie. Volgens Jesus bepaal dit waarheen ons hart gaan. As ons hart is waar ons skat is (Matteus 6:19-21), dan volg ons hart wanneer ons ons skat na ‘n ander plek skuif. Dit is 'n merkwaardige waarheid. As ek my hart iewers wil hê, moet ek my geld daar sit.

Toe mense vir Johannes die Doper gevra het wat hulle moes doen om die vrug van bekering te dra, het hy vir hulle gesê dat hulle hul klere en kos met die armes moes deel. Toe het hy tollenaars beveel om nie ekstra geld in te samel en in hul sakke te steek nie. Laastens het hy vir die soldate gesê om nie mense geldelik af te pers en valslik te beskuldig nie, en om tevrede te wees met hulle loon (Lukas 3:7-14).

Niemand het vir Johannes uitgevra oor geld en besittings nie. Sy antwoorde het egter gewys dat Johannes nie oor geestelike verandering kon praat sonder om te praat oor hoe mense materiële dinge hanteer nie.

As Johannes die Doper vandag by ons sou kom kuier, watter afleidings sou hy maak oor ons houdings en optrede teenoor geld en besittings? Sou die bewyse hom oortuig dat ons ware volgelinge van Jesus is? Of sou hy ons sien as gedoopte weergawes van die wêreld se selfbehepte materialiste?

Die uitvoerende hoof van Microsoft, Tricia Mayer, het aan my geskryf: “Rentmeesterskap is die Christelike lewe. Dit gaan oor wat ons doen met elke hulpbron wat aan ons gegee word, elke dag wat ons op die aarde loop, en elkeen van ons verhoudings. Die moeilike taak van rentmeesterskap is om die dissipline en wil bymekaar te skraap om die probleemkind, geld, te bestuur.”

'n Rentmeester word toevertrou met rykdom of eiendom wat nie aan hom behoort nie. Dit is sy verantwoordelikheid om daardie rykdom te bestuur in die beste belang van, en volgens die uitgesproke wense van, die eienaar. God het ons lewe, tyd, talente, geld, besittings, familie en sy genade gegee. In elke geval evalueer Hy wat ons doen met wat Hy aan ons toevertrou het.

Die eienaar gee die rentmeester genoeg hulpbronne en gesag om sy aangewese verantwoordelikhede uit te voer. Wat finansiële rentmeesterskap betref, het God nie aan ons 'n gestandaardiseerde kontrolelys gegee om af te merk nie. Inteendeel, Hy het aan ons sy Woord van beginsels gegee vir effektiewe finansiële rentmeesterskap — beginsels waarmee ons moet worstel. 'n Verantwoordelike rentmeester raadpleeg die Eienaar en soek sy leiding. Dit vereis insig en wysheid wat ver bo ons eie strek. Die Skrif sê, “As enigiemand van julle wysheid kortkom, laat hy dit vra van God, wat aan almal gee, sonder voorbehoud en sonder verwyt, en dit sal aan hom gegee word” (Jakobus 1:5).

Begeer jy regtig God se wysheid en bemagtiging om moeilike besluite oor rentmeesterskap te neem (en jou eie hart te evalueer)? Vra dan. Hy sal jou nie in die duister los nie. Hy het jou sy Woord en sy Gees gegee om jou te lei.

• En dan moet jy die HERE jou God onthou, want dit is Hy wat jou krag gee om die rykdom te verkry (Deuteronomium 8:18).
• Die HERE maak arm en Hy maak ryk; Hy verneder, ook verhoog Hy (1 Samuel 2:7).
• Rykdom en eer kom van U, en U regeer oor alles (1 Kronieke 29:12).

Rentmeesterskap is om in die lig van hierdie waarhede te leef. Dit is om te leef met die wete dat ons bestuurders is, nie eienaars nie, van wat God vir hierdie kort seisoen aan ons toevertrou het. Hoe ons geld en besittings hanteer, demonstreer wie ons werklik glo die ware eienaar is — God of ons.

John Wesley het vier vrae voorgestel om te help besluit hoe om geld te spandeer. Let op hoe die laaste drie direk uit die eerste een voortvloei:

• Deur hierdie geld te spandeer tree ek op asof ek dit besit, of tree ek op as die Here se trustee?
• Watter Skrif vra van my om hierdie geld op hierdie manier te spandeer?
• Kan ek hierdie kopie as ‘n offer aan die Here bring?
• Sal God my beloon vir hierdie uitgawe by die opstanding van die regverdiges?

As ons regtig glo dat God die eienaar van alles is, behoort ons Hom nie gereeld te vra: “Wat wil U hê moet ek met u geld en u besittings doen?” En moet ons nie oop te wees vir die moontlikheid dat Hy dalk wil hê dat ons groot dele van sy bates moet deel met diegene wie se behoeftes groter as ons s’n is nie?

Ek het met 'n man gepraat wat The Treasure Principle gelees het, my boek oor gee. Hy besit 'n winsgewende besigheid en glo vir die eerste keer dat hy weet waarom God hom finansieel geseën het. Dis nie sodat hy beter motors kan bestuur en in 'n mooier huis kan bly nie. Dis om dit te gee vir die bou van God se koninkryk. Ek het hom vertel van verskillende sendinggroepe en pro-lewe projekte, sowel as maniere om vervolgde Christene te help. Ek wens jy kon die opgewondenheid in sy stem hoor toe hy wegstap, vasbeslote om meer aardse bates te likwideer en sy ewige beleggingsportefeulje drasties uit te brei!

Hierdie man het dit deurgevoer en oor die jare al hoe meer gegee. Hy is nie huiwerig nie en het geen skuldgevoel nie. Hy is bevry van materiële slawerny en is verheug om aan boord te kom met wat saak maak! Hy is soos die man wat 'n versteekte skat van ongekende waarde in die veld ontdek, “Die koninkryk van die hemele is soos 'n skat wat in die veld begrawe lê. 'n Man het dit ontdek en weer toegegooi. Uit blydskap gaan verkoop hy alles wat hy het en koop daardie grond” (Matteus 13:44). Kry ons die man jammer oor sy opofferings? Nee! Ons beny hom oor sy skat sowel as oor sy vreugde.

As God met jou praat, luister. Niks gaan vinniger verby as die oomblik van oortuiging nie. Moet nooit gehoorsaamheid uitstel nie. Wanneer ons voor sy troon staan, sal dit te laat wees om terug te gaan en 'n leeftyd van vermorste geleenthede terug te eis. Deur te staar in die oë van die Christus wat ons koester sal ons presies weet hoe ons moes geleef het. God het sy Woord aan ons gegee sodat ons nie hoef te wag om te sterf om uit te vind nie. En Hy het sy Gees aan ons gegee om ons te bemagtig om nou so te leef.

What Is Eternity-Minded Stewardship?

Concerning money and possessions, the Bible is sometimes extreme, sometimes shocking. When we come to Scripture, it’s for comfort, not for assaults against our worldview, right? Let God talk about love and grace, thank you. Let us talk about money and possessions—then do with them whatever we please.

Were we honest, that’s what many of us would say.

Some believers ask each other tough questions: “Have you been spending time in the Word? Sharing your faith? Guarding your sexual purity?” Yet how often do we ask, "Are you winning the battle against materialism?” Or, "Have you been peeking at those tempting magazines and websites? You know, the ones that entice you to greed?”

People are more open even about their sexual struggles than about battling materialism, which may be the final frontier. Some churches do talk about getting out of debt. I applaud that. But you can be debt free and still be stingy and greedy. We don’t need to become smarter materialists; we need to repent of materialism and become smart stewards.

Jesus sees our hearts and knows us well. He doesn’t call all disciples to give away everything. He does call us to take radical action that breaks our bondage to money and possessions, freeing us to live under His lordship. He calls all of us to dethrone all secondary treasures in order to elevate Him as our primary treasure. If we value anything or anyone more than we value Jesus, we are not His disciples.

What we do with our money doesn’t simply indicate where our heart is. According to Jesus, it determines where our heart goes. If our heart is where our treasure is (Matthew 6:19-21), then when we move our treasure somewhere else, our heart follows. This is a remarkable truth. If I want my heart somewhere, I need to put my money there.

When people asked John the Baptist what they should do to bear the fruit of repentance, he told them to share their clothes and food with the poor. Then he instructed tax collectors not to collect and pocket extra money. Finally, he told soldiers not to extort money and accuse falsely, and to be content with their wages (Luke 3:7-14).

No one had asked John about money and possessions. Yet his answers showed that John couldn’t talk about spiritual change without addressing how people handle material things.

If John the Baptist were to visit us today, what conclusions would he draw about our attitudes and actions toward money and possessions? Would the evidence convince him we are true followers of Jesus? Or would he see us as baptized versions of the world’s self-preoccupied materialists?

Microsoft executive Tricia Mayer wrote me, “Stewardship is the Christian life. It is about what we do with every resource given to us, every day we walk the earth, and every relationship we have. The difficult task of stewardship is mustering the discipline and will to manage the problem child called money.”

A steward is entrusted with wealth or property that does not belong to him. It’s his responsibility to manage that wealth in the best interests of, and according to the stated wishes of, the owner. God has given us life, time, talents, money, possessions, family, and His grace. In each case He evaluates what we do with what He’s entrusted to us.

The steward is granted by the owner sufficient resources and the authority to carry out his designated responsibilities. When it comes to financial stewardship, God hasn’t handed us a standardized checklist to mark off. Rather, He has provided us His Word with principles for effective financial stewardship—principles we have to wrestle with. A responsible steward consults the Owner, seeking His direction. This requires insight and wisdom far beyond our own. Scripture says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault” (James 1:5).

Do you truly desire God’s wisdom and empowerment in making difficult stewardship decisions (and evaluating your own heart)? Then ask. He won’t leave you in the dark. He has given you His Word and His Spirit to guide you.

• And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).
• The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up (1 Samuel 2:7).
• Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all (I Chronicles 29:12).

Stewardship is living in the light of these truths. It’s living with the awareness that we are managers, not owners, of what God has entrusted to us for this brief season. How we handle money and possessions demonstrates who we really believe is their true owner—God or us.

John Wesley offered four questions to help decide how to spend money. Notice how the last three flow directly out of the first one:

• In spending this money, am I acting as if I owned it, or am I acting as the Lord’s trustee?
• What Scripture requires me to spend this money in this way?
• Can I offer up this purchase as a sacrifice to the Lord?
• Will God reward me for this expenditure at the resurrection of the just?

If we really believe God is the owner of everything, shouldn’t we regularly be asking Him, “What do you want me to do with your money and your possessions?” And shouldn’t we be open to the possibility that He may want us to share large portions of His assets with those whose needs are greater than ours?

I spoke with a man who’d read The Treasure Principle, my book on giving. He owns a profitable business and believes for the first time that he knows why God has blessed him financially. It’s not so he can drive nicer cars and live in a nicer house. It’s to give it to build God’s kingdom. I told him about several different missions groups and prolife projects, and ways to help persecuted Christians. I wish you could have heard the excitement in his voice as he walked away determined to liquidate more earthly assets and dramatically expand his eternal investment portfolio!

This man followed through, and has given more and more over the years. He isn’t reluctant and guilt-ridden. He’s been liberated from material bondage, and is thrilled to have gotten onboard with what matters! He’s like the man who finds priceless treasure hidden in the field, “Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew 13:44). Do we pity the man for his sacrifices? No! We envy him both for his treasure and his joy.

If God is speaking to you, listen. Nothing’s more fleeting than the moment of conviction. Never procrastinate obedience. Once we stand before His throne, it will be too late to go back and reclaim a lifetime of squandered opportunities. Gazing into the eyes of the Christ we treasure, we’ll know exactly how we should have lived. God has given us His Word so we don’t have to wait to die to find out. And He’s given us His Spirit to empower us to live that way now.