Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.
– Exodus 36:6-7 (NIV)
How many times have you heard a church member lament that there wasn’t enough money or resources for the church to do what it needed or wanted to do? May I be so bold as to say that money and resources are not the stumbling block for your church or the Church at large. We live in the most prosperous country on the planet. We have more discretionary resources than we know what to do with.
May I be blunt? Money, resources, and willingness of volunteers (or lack there of) is only a symptom of the condition of people’s hearts.
I spoke with an elder in a church yesterday that was frustrated because his church was disagreeable over how to use the church’s financial resources. They have more than enough to do anything they want to do, yet there are those who do not want to let go of what is already in the bank, nor the surplus that comes in each month.
We are a people on mission. We should be spending resources to reach people for the Kingdom of God. But unlike the story above, we don’t have people releasing assets for the glory of God, we have people wanting to control every penny the Church possesses.
It seems that prosperity can be a breeding ground for greed. Church, you have more than enough to do what God has called you to do, if you will just release your grip on what God has already given you!