Saving, Squandering, Stockpiling, and Storing
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF SAVING MONEY IN LIGHT OF A FLEETING LIFE AND ETERNAL POSSIBILITIES?
“6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.” —Proverbs 6:6–11
“20 Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it.” —Proverbs 21:20
HOW CAN I SAVE IF I’VE BEEN SQUANDERING ALL MY INCOME? APPLIED CONTENTMENT
“6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” —1 Timothy 6:6–8
“8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9 lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.” —Proverbs 30:8–9
THE TENSION: IS THE ETERNITY-MINDED CHRISTIAN’S GOAL TO STOCKPILE WEALTH & “FIDDLE WHILE ROME BURNS”?
“15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”” —Luke 12:15–21
QUESTION: HOW MUCH INDULGENCE IS TOO MUCH INDULGENCE? ANSWER: HOW WILL YOU ACCOUNT FOR WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO?
“12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” —Romans 14:12
TO BE CLEAR, JESUS EXPLICITLY COMMANDS US TO STORE UP TREASURE, BUT MOVES OUR PAYOFF FROM THE FLEETING TO FOREVER
“19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”” —Matthew 6:19–24
How do I give to 1MSO?
The people of One Missoula Church give tangible resources back to God in order to suffocate greed in our own lives and amplify the impact of the Gospel in the lives of others. We’ve removed every barrier and inconvenience to make this sacrificial act as accessible and simple as possible. At present, here are the avenues for this act of devotion:
- Sunday Morning – offering boxes on the communion tables at the back
- Snail Mail – postage-paid envelopes available
- Text “1MSO” to 406-631-3323
- Online at https://onemissoulachurch.com/give
- Via the One Missoula App under the “Giving” tab
