说到金钱和财产，圣经有时言辞激烈，有时令人震惊。当我们读经的时候，是为了得到安慰，而不是要遭受世界观的冲击，对吧？让神述说慈爱和恩典，感谢主。让我们自己来说谈谈金钱和财产——然后，按照自己的意愿处理。

我们若诚实，那就是我们很多人会说的话。

有的信徒会互相质问：“你有花时间读圣经吗？分享你的信仰？持守你的性纯洁？”可是我们是否经常问说：“你是否在与物质主义的争战中得胜？”或是“你有没有偷看那些诱惑人的杂志和网站？你知道的，就是那些激起你贪婪的东西？”

人们对于自己的性挣扎的更加坦诚，超过他们抵挡物质主义的争战，那可能才是最后的边界。有的教会也会谈到摆脱债务的问题，我对此表示赞赏。然而，即便没有债务，人依旧可能陷入吝啬和贪婪。我们不应追求成为更加精明的物质主义者，我们需要的是为自己的物质主义悔改，然后成为聪明的管家。

耶稣鉴察我们的心且知晓我们。他没有呼召所有门徒都舍弃一切，但他确实呼召我们要采取激进的行动，摆脱我们在金钱和财产上遭受的辖制，使我们能够在他的主权下自由生活。他呼召我们所有人除去一切不重要的财宝，将他视为我们最重要的财宝。我们若看重其他任何人事物胜于耶稣，我们就不是他的门徒。

我们如何处理自己的钱财并不单单表明我们心的所在。据耶稣所说，那也决定我们的心之所向。若说我们的财宝在哪里，心就在哪里（马太福音 6:19-21），那当我们将我们的财宝移往别处时，我们的心也会跟着移动。这是一个重要的真理。如果我要自己的心在某个地方，那我就要将我的钱财放在那里。

当有人问施洗约翰他们应该怎么做才能结出悔改的果子时，他告诉他们要和穷苦人分享他们的衣物和食物。然后他指示税吏不能积攒和私藏多余的钱财。最后，他告诉士兵们不可敲诈钱财，诬告他人，要满足于他们自己的俸禄（路加福音 3:7-14）。

没有人问过约翰关于金钱和财产的问题，但约翰的答复表明，谈及人的属灵变化必然涉及他们如何处理物质的事物。

如果今天施洗约翰来探访我们，他会就我们对金钱和财产的态度及行为做出怎样的结论？是否会有证据能说服他，我们确实是基督真正的追随者？又或者他会把我们视我们为受洗后仍陷于世俗物质主义的人？

微软的高管特丽西亚·迈耶（Tricia Mayer）写信告诉我说：“管家心志是基督徒的生命。这关乎我们如何对待每一个神赋予我们的资源，我们在世上的每一天以及我们所拥有的一切关系。管家心志的艰难支出在于鼓起自律和意志，去管理那个问题儿童，就是金钱。”

管家会被托付不属于他的财富或财产，且有责任从利益最大化的角度，根据主人的意愿，来管理这些财富。神已经把生命，时间，才干，金钱，产业，家庭和他的恩典赐给了我们。他会就所托付给我们的事项逐一地对我们进行评估。

管家被主人授予足够的资源和权柄，来履行他特定的职责。在财务管理方面，神并没有给我们一份标准化的清单勾画。相反的，他通过圣经告诉我们有效财务管理的原则，是需要我们去思考的原则。一位负责任的管家会和主人商议，寻求他的指引。这需要远超出我们自身所有的洞察力和智慧。圣经说：“你们中间若有缺少智慧的，应当求那厚赐于众人也不斥责人的神，主就必赐给他”（雅各书 1:5）。

你是否真心渴望神的智慧和能力来做出艰难的管理决策（以及鉴察自己的内心）？那就去求吧！他不会把你撇弃在黑暗里，他已经将自己的话语和他的灵都赐下来带领你。

• 你要记念耶和华你的神，因为得货财的力量是他给你的（申命记 8:18）。
• 他使人贫穷，也使人富足；使人卑微，也使人高贵（撒母耳记上 2:7）。
• 丰富尊荣都从你而来，你也治理万物（历代志上 29:12）。

管家心志是活在这些真理的亮光中，也是在生活中意识到在这短暂的一生里，我们只是神托付之物的管理者而不是主人。我们如何处理金钱和财物表明我们真正相信谁才是它们的主人——是神还是我们。

约翰·卫斯理提出过四个问题，帮助决定如何使用钱财。请注意，后三个问题都是出自第一个题：

• 在使用这笔钱的时候，我是否表现得像这笔钱是我的，还是在担任主的受托人的角色？
• 有哪些经文要求我如此使用这笔钱？
• 我能否将这次的购买作为给主的奉献？
• 在义人复活的时候，神是否会为这笔支出奖赏我？

我们若真相信神是一切的主宰，我们岂不应该经常问他：“你想要我如何处理你的金钱和你的财产？”我们是否应该开放心胸，考虑到他可能希望我们将他产业的一大部分分享给那些比我们更有需要的人？

我曾跟一位读过《财宝的原则》（The Treasure Principle）的人交谈，这是我关于奉献的一本书。他自己有一家盈利的企业，并第一次深刻地认识到神为何在财务上赐福他。并不是为了让他能开更好的车，住更好的房子，而是要将这些资产奉献出去，拓展神的国度。我告诉他几个不同的宣教团体和生命公益的项目，以及帮助受逼迫的基督徒的方法。我真希望你能听到他那兴奋的声音，当他下定决心回去清算他地上更多的资产，大幅扩展他在永恒里的投资组合！

这名男子坚持不懈，在接下来的几年里奉献越拉越多。他不是出于勉强或愧疚。他已经摆脱了物质束缚，并且为能在那重要的事情中有所参与而感到兴奋！他就像是那找到藏在地里的无价之宝的人，“欢欢喜喜地去变卖一切所有的，买这块地”（马太福音 13:44）。我们会为这个人做出的牺牲可怜他吗？不会！我们会为着他找到的财宝和喜乐而羡慕他。

若神在对你说话，请留心听。没有什么比确信的瞬间更短暂的。在顺服的事上，绝对不要推迟。一旦我们来到他的宝座前，就无法追悔无及，无法挽回一生中浪费的机会。定睛在我们宝贵基督的眼目，我们就会知道自己应该如何生活。神已经将他的话语赐给我们，叫我们不必等到死了才明白。而他也已经将圣灵赐给我们，使我们现在就有能力如此地过活。

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.

Photo: Unsplash