I remember the time specifically, I was sitting in the congregation listening to the pastor’s message about the end times and it suddenly hit me, if the whole world ends soon, why am I working so hard to buy this house! Suddenly my purpose was challenged.

If you talk to most conservative churches they will spout the following,

• Matthew 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
• Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.

The general message is to give up your earthly possessions, as you cannot serve God with a clear conscience if you have “lots of stuff”.

I understand their motive, but the baby has clearly been thrown out with the bathwater here.

This issue is a heart issue, not a have issue

The bible is clear on this as follows,

• 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

That’s it, don’t love money! Run from the love of it, remove any desire to be rich and continually keep your heart in check on this issue. This is of pivotal importance as if there is any love on money in our heart the bible tells us we are erring from the faith.

Money isn’t the Enemy

Nowhere in the bible does it say that we should not have money, in fact it commands us to have it! God’s word goes one step further and states if we don’t have it we are worse than an unbeliever,

• 1 Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
• Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.

Here we are commanded to own a house, to provide for our family, and to have enough to leave an inheritance to not only our children, but our grandchildren. Clearly to do this, we must work hard, invest, and make profit. In the modern world these tasks require vehicles, phones, computers, and other tools of trade to earn enough to do so.

How Much is too Much

• 2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
• Deuteronomy 8:18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
• Ecclesiastes 2:24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
• Ecclesiastes 3:13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

As Christians we must desire to be in Gods will, this includes his will for each of us financially. It is him that gives us the power to obtain wealth over and above our basic needs of a house and to eat. Clearly throughout the bible there is a common theme that we should only receive the fruits of our labor, and we should enjoy those fruits when they are obtained honestly.

Purpose

What a beautiful thing it is that God gives us purpose to work hard. This earth must end due to sin, and we must endure our time here on earth as a temporary part of our ultimate existence. By commanding us to work hard, and rewarding us each to our own labor God has carefully given each of us purpose here on earth even though what we are building does not last forever.

Conclusion

God commands us to work hard, provide and enjoy the fruits of our labor. He tells us that each of us will be rewarded due to our labor here on earth, irrespective of the fact that everything we work for here on earth will ultimately be destroyed in the end times. The good news here is this does not remove our purpose, and everything we do here in our work and labor is not for nothing. Carefully, we must never allow LOVE of these things to enter our hearts.