You’ve probably been to a children’s Christmas play. I’ve heard of one reenactment where the little innkeeper just couldn’t stand turning Joseph and Mary away. Still, knowing he had to stay true to his lines he said:

“There is no room for you in the Inn.”
But then he added:
“Wait! You can have my room.”

Isn’t that what Advent is about—making room for Jesus?

And isn’t that what Stewardship is about—making room for Jesus in every facet of our lives, including financial.

Make room for Jesus in your budget, because after all –

It’s Not Your Money.

Jonah knew the right thing to do, yet he did what he wanted instead and paid the price.  You know the suffering he endured as a result.

Have some of the financial decisions made in the past few years been more of what we wanted rather than what God wanted?  Is the stress we feel today our time of suffering, our time in the belly?

Even if so, we can be confident that as with Jonah, God will not abandon us.  He will raise us from the pit; deliverance is from the Lord.  We just need to remember –

It’s Not Our Money!

I am no longer on track to retire. My retirement account values are down 30%.

My business is struggling. Revenues are down by more than 50%.

I hear myself crying out like Peter in Matthew 14: 30 – Lord, save me!

And Jesus’ response? “O you of little faith. Why do you doubt?”

And the truth is, business goes on and the bills get paid and I add to my 401k when I can. I should be more concerned for doing what God want me to do and less about the money.

Because after all, It’s Not My Money.

Is your world upside down? Lost your job or at least, pay half of what it was? Investment and Retirement accounts 30% less than they were a year ago? House not worth what you owe on it? Wish things could go back to be like they were pre-recession?

Jeremiah exhorts us to think of it no longer, nor remember it, nor miss it. Of course he was preaching to the Jews in exile who longed for the day when they could go see God in the Ark of the Covenant. But, the exile helped them understand that God s not contained in a box. Instead, He is pervasively everywhere in our lives.

In difficult times, do not look nostalgically to the past. Jeremiah gives good advice.

God is doing something now.

When it comes to having to get along with less money than before, ask God what you should do now.

Because after all – It’s Not Your Money.

The parable of the fig tree in Luke 13: 6-9 reads like a ‘do it or else!’ message, like a parent must deliver to a disobedient child sometimes.

Could it be that if we are disobedient to His commands, and selfish with the gifts He’s given us, we may get the axe reserved for that fig tree? Maybe like the gardener amended and cultivated the soil, we should amend our attitudes toward money.

We should repent and admit that God gives us all we have.

We should submit to His commands and give of our resources for the good of the community.

We should do this gladly and joyfully, because after all –

It’s Not Our Money