Week 10 Day 2 Devotions
How Do I Spend My Money?
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.” Hebrews 13:5.
Wesley has some hard-hitting advice on how to decide what to spend our money on. It is advice which was evidently largely ignored by the Methodist people of his day. Prayerfully reflect on how this advice might affect your use of money today:
“If then a doubt should at any time arise in your mind concerning what you are going to expend, either on yourself or any part of your family, you have an easy way to remove it. Calmly and seriously inquire: (1) In expending this, am I acting according to my character? Am I acting herein, not as a proprietor, but as a steward of my Lord's goods?
(2) Am I doing this in obedience to his Word? In what Scripture does he require me so to do?
(3) Can I offer up this action, this expense, as a sacrifice to God through Jesus
Christ?
(4) Have I reason to believe that for this very work I shall have a reward at the resurrection of the just?
You will seldom need anything more to remove any doubt which arises on this head; but by this fourfold consideration you will receive clear light as to the way wherein you should go.
“If any doubt still remain, you may farther examine yourself by prayer according to those heads of inquiry. Try whether you can say to the Searcher of hearts, your conscience not condemning you: 'Lord, thou seest I am going to expend this sum on that food, apparel, furniture. And thou knowest I act herein with a single eye as a steward of thy goods, expending this portion of them thus in pursuance of the design thou hadst in entrusting me with them. Thou knowest I do this in obedience to thy Word, as thou commandest, and because thou commandest it. Let this, I beseech thee, be an holy sacrifice, acceptable through Jesus Christ! And give me a witness in myself that for this labour of love I shall have a recompense when thou rewardest every man according to his works.'
“Now if your conscience bear you witness in the Holy Ghost that this prayer is wellpleasing to God, then have you no reason to doubt but that expense is right and good, and such as will never make you ashamed.”(From The Use of Money)
O Lord, please help me to spend my money in a way that is pleasing to You.
