Its Never About The Money

Daniel 5:17
Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.

It is true that many times we work to get money. We look for things with monetary value. We love money. Money makes our lives easier and even bearable. But it is also true that not everything is about money.

While love should never be about money but for love’s sake, yet some people have made it a source of money. While loyalty should be based on principles, yet some people are only loyal if money will be its end product. There are things that should never be about money, but our corrupt world has made them be all about money.

Religion should never be about money. Serving God should never be about money. Even though some people are adherents to various faiths for money, yet, it remains true that religion should never be about money. We do not preach for the money. We do not pray for money. We do not give guidance and counseling for the money. We do not conduct services for the money. When it comes to religious matters, even though others have corrupted it all, it is never about the money.

We offer the same prayers for health and prosperity to the rich and to the poor who are even unable to give any offerings. We do not demand any monies before prayers. We do not prophesy after being paid. We do not show up at events on condition that a certain amount of money is set aside. While we expect to be facilitated for meals, transport, and accommodation while we are serving away from home, we do not expect any further pay rather than our regular pay. Appreciation is never demanded but at the discretion of the giver. For us, the service is offered to God and only He can reward us. It is never about the money.

In fact, asking for money over and beyond the regular pay is a clear sign that we have no calling from God or we have been corrupted and compromised. We do not work for lucre. It is never about the money!

When king Belshazzar summons Daniel to read the writing on the wall and interpret it, he fronts money as a motivation. He tells Daniel that if you do it, I will pay you well. Daniel immediately rejects all gifts from the king because that service was not about money. It is never about the money!

Daniel 5:17
Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.

Daniel tells the king I will not take your gifts but I will offer you the spiritual service of reading and interpreting the writing on the wall. I will do it without pay. I will not do it for your pay. It is never about the money.

We need money for food. We need money for decent housing and dressing. We need money for our families to subsist on. We need money to make our lives on earth possible. We need money for transport. We need money as salaries. We need money to facilitate that which is outside our regular spending. We hope those we serve are sensible enough to ensure we get that money without placing us in a position where we have to ask for it and make it look like we are in it for the money. The church has a system to ensure that this facilitation happens smoothly without jeopardizing the ministry to look like it has a focus on money. It’s never about the money!

Think of the costs we have incurred as we come to you with the gospel. Think of the rising cost of living. Think of families that depend on us. Then act in wisdom without placing us in a position where we have to bargain for what should be obvious. Do your part and we focus on the gospel. It’s never about the money!

Even when someone out of carelessness has underestimated the costs incurred or has failed to facilitate us, when we remain calm and silent, God still miraculously provides for us and our families. God steps in and rescues us from embarrassment. That affirms to us that we must serve even the stingy and selfish. We must serve them as much as we serve the affluent. We serve without discrimination and ill feeling because where we lack, God provides and it reminds us that truth that it is never about the money!

We do not look at the church giving register to determine who to visit, we visit all alike. We pray for all alike. We offer services of the clergy to all alike. It’s never about the money!

Dear God, forgive us where we have made it look like it’s about the money. Remind us all the time that, it’s never about the money, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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