Theology (III)

What do we do with what we have?

wealth-money

No one wants to talk about what they have.  

Everyone wants to complain about what they don’t.

(click on the hyperlinks below for biblical-theological foundations)

Colorful presents

But all people have gifts.  

Some are rich in mercy.

Others show prosperity in administration.

Still others’ gain can be seen in their knowledge.

Gifts can come in different forms.  What matters is how we use them.

Still, wealth seems to divide us.wealth-car

What many seem to forget is that what I do with one dollar is just as important as what another does with a million.

Even more important is to remember this definition: materialism is not what we have but what has us.

God has given wealth to all people in many different amounts.  Our concentration should be focused on what we do with what we have.

wealth-debtAnd then there is the problem with debt.

Scripture has very clear teaching about going into debt, helping others in debt, and the need to get out of debt.

 

Politicians put nations in debt.

But other problems loom large:

What do we do with our credit cards?

How do we spend more than we have?

Property rights, poverty-poor issues, rich-responsibility concerns, and governmental-interference problems are all spoken to in Scripture.

But everyone is still left with the question:

“What do we do with what we have?”

Dr. Mark Eckel is Professor of Leadership, Education & Discipleship at Capital Bible Seminary, Washington, D.C.  This statement was originally written for “School Wide Biblical Integration,” an ACSI enabler in 2002, having been used in various venues since.