Billy Graham once said, “Give me five minutes with a person’s checkbook, and I will tell you where their heart is.”  In an age of online banking, his reference to checkbooks may be out of date for some, but his point is as relevant as ever.  The simple statement of our Lord continues to ring true in every generation; where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21).  Most people think that their money will follow what they love.  But the claim of Jesus is the opposite: our hearts will always follow where we put our money.  As we invest in something, our love for it always increases. 

The early church understood this principle and lived it out daily.  They allowed money to flow from the hand of God, through them, to the church and then into the world.  The flourishing and ministry impact that we see in the book of Acts is possible in part because of the wild generosity of God’s people.  Not only did it provide the needed resources for serving the poor and planting churches, but it also freed the members of the church from the grip of materialism that is endemic to the human condition. When God’s people invest in God’s work through the local church, they are freed from the materialism, discontent, and greed that permeates our culture.  The beauty of giving is that both the giver and the recipient are blessed and built up by the goodness of God. 

For today: Are you investing in the work of God through His local church?