Love Greater than Money
Photo Courtesy of Jason Valendy
Special to United Methodist Insight
Praying the words or singing the song as an offertory prayer; 'We Give Thee but Thine Own" serves to remind us that God gives everything, and we are privileged to hold it temporarily in trust in order to return a portion of that gift.
The prophet Micah makes the expectation clear. We are called to provide justice, love, and humility in our walk with God. There is nothing about a monetary investment with an anticipated reward! Everything comes from God; we are only giving back the investment God makes in us.
It seems to me that there is an over-emphasis to use money to control the denomination as though eternal life is up for sale. Reading statements such as, "It's our building, because we paid for it" or “we will withhold our money to get our way" is deeply distressing, selfish as well as very myopic.
Writing to Timothy, Paul challenges each of us with the concept; "The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some have wandered away from the faith and have impaled themselves with a lot of pain because they made money their goal." 1 Timothy 6:10 (CEB)
All we have ever received, all that we continue to receive, all that we ever receive comes because God loves unconditionally and yet we think we can put conditions on what we give back to God?
Inspired by the Beatles song, “Money Can't Buy Me Love:"
"We give You what we choose to give, forgetting it all came from You
"We know You love us and we get to love You and others too!
"We think that 'things' are what we should worship rather than giving back to You.
"Seems like we care too much for money.
"Thinking money can buy us love!"
Wil Meikeljohn is a certified lay minister in the Mountain Sky Annual Conference.