Expert: Scott Talbot - 4/9/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hello, how are you going? :-) My name is Christina and I live in Australia. I was just wondering about the bit in the bible where it says that: "a good man eaves an inheritance for his childrens children" I was wondering if this is an instruction from God as to what we should aim to do in our lives, or is that the result of what God will do? I am a bit confused as to which it is, as I see that in the next sentence it says that "the wealth of the wicked will be stored up for the righteous" so that let me to think that since that is something that God will do and not humans, does that mean that the sentence :a good man leaves an inheritance to his childrens children? is something that God is going to do that is beyond our control, or is it a specific instruction from God that us humans should all aim to leave an inheritance to our childrens children? Thanks heaps for your time, I do appreciate it a lot :-) Kind Regards, from Christina in Australia :-)

ANSWER: Hi Christina in Australia! It's nice to hear from you.

You ask an excellent question. Who determines the outcome of certain events? Is it we who are challenged to make certain choices? Or is it God, who controls the outcome of all matters?

Answering this question is difficult, because it requires that we try to grasp how man's free will and God's sovereign power intersect. In our human minds, the two seem logically exclusive of one another. And yet, I believe that the Bible teaches us that both are true.

Man is responsible for his choices. This is abundantly clear from Scripture, where we are told of the importance of our choices, and we are held accountable for them, as well.

But it's also clear from Scripture that God is in control, that He works all things out for His glory and for our good.

We may never quite understand how man's free will and God's sovereignty intersect. But we can accept these seemingly opposing truths in faith and act on them accordingly.

We should act as if it's all up to us. Then, having acted, we should rest in God and trust Him to bring about the desired outcome ... as if it's all up to Him.

This may not completely answer your question. Who knows--it may have created more questions! But I hope it gives you something to chew on.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello, and thank you so very much for your answer, I do appreciate it a lot. Is it okay if I ask another question? :-) What do you think is worse in Gods view- someone having the ability to make money but not doing it because they think God will be upset with them if they do,and so they cant therefore help many poor people with money, but that person also staying quite poor themself, or going ahead and making a lot of money and helping poor people with a lot of it too, as well as having money themselves? Thanks heaps for your time, I do appreciate it a lot :-) Kind Regards, from Christina in Australia :-)

Answer
Hi Christina in Australia!

Absolutely, it's okay to ask another question. I'm glad you did.

It's interesting that you would ask this question. I work in the foundation of an international Christian ministry. My job involves a specialized form of financial planning that includes teaching Biblical principles of stewardship. So I have received a lot of training on this topic, and I deal with it on a regular basis.

Matthew 25:14-30 is the passage in which Jesus relates the Parable of the Talents ... or, what I like to call, the Parable of the Stewards. In this parable, Jesus talks about a man who entrusted some of his wealth to his servants. The man represents God, and the servants represent those to whom God has entrusted His resources. (That includes you and me.)

While the resources are not limited to money, I believe that money is certainly one of the resources that is included in this analogy.

The Bible tells us that "The earth is the Lord's, and all that is in it; the earth, and all who live in it" (Psalm 24:1). We are also told in Deuteronomy 8:17-18, "You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today." Further, James 1:17 tells us, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

So, as in the parable, we need to understand that all that we have comes from God, but it still belongs to God. Therefore, we are not owners, but stewards of that which belongs to God. God gives each person different abilities, skills, talents, even different financial circumstances. For whatever reason, God chooses to give some more or less than He gives others. The point is that, whatever He has entrusted to us, we need to manage wisely for His benefit and for His glory.

What this means in a practical sense is a matter between that person and God. Certainly, we should all be careful to honor God with all that we have and all that we do. When it comes to our finances, this involves ALL of it, not just what we choose to give away to others and to God's work.

So let's get to your question. You describe an individual who has the ability to make money. Deuteronomy 8:17-18 reveals that this ability to create wealth is something that has been given to him by God. So how does one wisely utilize this resource to honor the Owner? He uses this ability to create wealth--a boatload of wealth, if God allows him to do so. Then, when that wealth is realized, the wealth itself becomes another resource that must be managed wisely for God's honor and benefit. This includes (but is not limited to) his giving away some of the money for the poor and needy, and for Kingdom work.

Luke 12:48 says, "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more." For someone to have the gift of creating wealth, and not use it, is to dishonor God with that gift.

Some pursue poverty, because they mistakenly believe that money is evil, and poverty is virtuous. They misquote the Bible to say, "Money is the root of all evil." However, if you read I Timothy 6:10, you will find that the Bible says, "The LOVE of money is the root of all evil." So it's not money, but one's attitude towards money that is at issue. And, interestingly, it's just as easy for one who does NOT have money to have the improper attitude towards money, as it is for one who DOES have money.

So, in answer to your question, I would say that one who is able to make a lot of money should honor God by doing so. Then they should further honor God by using God's money to generously help others and to give to God's work. For this person to pursue poverty would be a shameful waste.

Scott in Pennsylvania :^)