Pensamientos para hoy (afterthought for today)
It's the Lord's money
This week (June 24-July 1, 2007) has been exceptionally hot. The temperatures have been in the high eighties and low nineties (Fahrenheit). As a result my kids have turned down the thermostat on the air conditioner. But I turned the thermostat back up to save money. I have tried to educate them about the cost of leaving lights on or running the air conditioner too high. Recently, after telling my kids to be careful about using electricity, I was reminded that we have the same responsibility at church. The generation known as "Builders" (those who came through the Great Depression and World War Two) are often reminding us Baby Boomers to turn off lights and be careful with money. I've overheard some of these Builders comment that the younger generation wastes money by using paper plates and plastic ware rather than using china and silverware. I've noticed that it's always someone of the Builder generation who asks if the air conditioner is really necessary. These Builders remember what it's like not to have money. They learned how to save money and how to make money "stretch". We can learn a lot from these men and women who are part of what has been called the "Greatest Generation". Especially when it comes to handling the finances of the church, we should try to follow their advice and not spend the Lord's money frivolously. When people give to the church they are entrusting those dollars into the care of the church, and we have a responsibility to use those dollars wisely. Although the overall oversight of church finances is usually taken care of by Trustees, much of the day to day operations and many of the smaller financial decisions are made by regular members of the church. Each of us has a responsibility to try our best to use church monies properly. From the person who buys the coffee for Sunday morning to the person who turns on the lights in their Sunday School class room, we all need to be careful with spending the Lord's money. As we tithe let's remember that this money is for use in God's Kingdom. As we give let's pray that God will help us use the money carefully for his honor and glory. When we spend the Lord's money or use the facilities of the church, let's remember that the church belongs to God. The Bible says, "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31)."1 By way of application we could say: "Whether you use electricity or purchase supplies for the church, do all to the glory of God." Being careful with what God gives, Pastor SteveFootnotes1 1 Corinthians 10:31, NASB (New American Standard Bible). Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
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