Core Christian Value: Blessings are from God and we should use them to bring glory to His name and to show our love to His children. His blessings to us create opportunities for us to be a blessing to others.
Here is the problem. The Bible says that “…the love of money is the root of all evil.” Let’s begin with a different approach. Is having money a bad thing? I doubt that anyone would say that having money is a bad thing. For instance, if you had a lot of money could you choose to use it to help others? Of course you could, but you could also choose to keep it all for yourself.
Money is a resource, just as your talent and strength are resources. Some have more than others. If you have more money, talent and strength than someone else, what choices are you making in using your “assets”? Do you wonder if the choice is really yours? Well, it is your choice and the decisions you make show man and God what kind of a person you are. Assets become responsibilities. If you have no assets you have fewer decisions to make in using them. The Bible teaches us that to whom much is given, much is required (LUKE 12:48).
If it turns out that you feel the blessings (money, talent and various kinds of capabilities) are yours, not because God has provided them, but because of your hard work or the work of your parents, then you will be inclined to keep the blessings for yourself. You will use the blessings to build yourself up. You will grow to love the blessings and be fearful of losing them, forgetting that they were a gift from God which could be removed in an instant (earthquake, flood, fire and so on). If you find yourself loving the blessing and fearful of losing it or sharing it with others, you will have missed God’s intended purpose for your life.
The Bible teaches that if you love money more than God, you are in trouble (LUKE 16:13). Either serve God with your resources or disappoint God by acting like the resources are for your private enjoyment. If God has given you wonderful blessings it is, in part, because he is watching to see how you use them. Do you notice the needs of others and try to help them or do you love having the blessing so much that you keep it all to yourself? If you have a great deal more than you need, have you thought about why that is true and what God’s hopes are for you?
If God has given you blessings, doesn’t it make sense to try to be a blessing to others? Having money is a good thing as long as you understand that it is a gift from God. Yes you work hard and you save a portion of your money, but even the energy and talent to work hard is also a gift from God. If God has blessed you, be a pipeline of love to others. Use the assets God has given you to serve Him and to serve others. Little blessings are a little test and huge blessings are a huge test.
Discuss what blessings God has given to each member of the family. Then discuss how you are using those blessings (talent, wealth, wisdom, strength and so on) to be a blessing to others and to bring glory to God. The challenge is this: Does your life bring glory to God? Is God pleased with your efforts to use your blessings to serve Him?