Confiando em Deus 2

Confiando em Deus 2

Nas finanças

Let me give you a couple of examples. You have a church that preaches tithing and trusting God to provide, even when you can't by human eyes see how He can accomplish it. People are told that God can do anything and that He will provide for them and that they can believe that because God has proven His love for us all. Sounds great doesn't it, that is until the church needs something. What is the first thing the Elders and Pastors do? Is it pray and trust God, or is it preach another tithing sermon in the hopes that people will feel guilty and give money? Or do they come right out and preach about supporting the church and then give the needs and the amount needed to meet those needs?

Where is their faith in God? God says that He does not need our money, He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. I am not saying that it is wrong for a church to tell the congregation of the monetary needs, I am saying that it is a matter of the heart. Do the church leaders trust God? Do they know in their hearts that God will provide, or are they trying by their own power to provide the money for whatever need there is?

No matter how charismatic a pastor is does he think that by asking people to give he has more influence then if he just quietly prayed for God to provide? If so then maybe he should go to the congregation with his pleas and let just one person in the congregation pray that God will hold back the money and see who has the most power. I cannot think of a pastor who would take that challenge, but I have to wonder why not. If they don't trust God enough to provide why would they fear Him enough to believe He might withhold the money?

I am speaking about a heart condition and only God can really know the true condition of anyone's heart, but our actions can sure show an approximation of our heart condition. As I said it is not wrong for a church to approach the congregation with financial needs, but it is wrong if they try to get the money needed by their own power of persuasion. Again I think that is an offense to God. It shows that we don't trust Him.

Here is a final passage I want to discuss: (Romans 14:23 NIV) But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin. Now Paul was speaking about people's freedom in Christ to eat anything they want. Nothing is considered unclean to the Christian, but I think we could and should apply this verse in some further ways. Paul says that even though it is not wrong to eat any food, if the person who eats does not believe that (have faith) then it is wrong, because anything done without faith is sin. So even though it is not wrong for a church to approach the congregation with financial needs, if it is done because of lack of faith in God, is it sin?