JOHN WESLEY'S PRINCIPLES ON MONEY

The right use of money is of the utmost importance to the Christian, yet it is a subject given too little attention. Wealth has often been regarded by poets and philosophers as a source of evil and yet the fault lies, not with money, but with those who use it.

Indeed, money should be regarded as a gift of God for the benefits that it brings in ordering the affairs of civilisation and the opportunities it offers for doing good. In the hands of God’s children, money is food for the hungry, clothing for the naked and shelter for the stranger. With money we can care for the widow and the fatherless, defend the oppressed, meet the need of those who are sick or in pain. It is therefore most urgent that God’s people know how to make use of their money for his glory.

John Wesley began to limit his expenses so that he would have more money to give to the poor. He records that one year his income was 30 pounds and his living expenses were 28 pounds, so he had 2 pounds to give away. The next year his income doubled, but he still managed to live on 28 pounds, so he had 32 pounds to give to the poor. In the third year, his income jumped to 90 pounds. Instead of letting his expenses rise with his income, he kept them to 28 pounds and gave away 62 pounds. In the fourth year, he received 120 pounds. As before, his expenses were 28 pounds, so his giving rose to 92 pounds. One year his income was a little over 1400 pounds. He lived on 30 pounds and gave away nearly 1400 pounds.

Wesley believed that with increasing income,

what should rise is not the Christian’s standard of living but the standard of giving.

In Hope Church Brisbane, you are given the opportunity to be a part of this meaningful cause in building God's House for the purpose of reaching out to more unsaveds and building up a strong community of Christ for God's work to be done more efficiently and effectively. It's not so much about the money, but about the people and your relationship with God.

I urge you - to use whatever God has loaned to you to do good to your fellow Christians and to all people. Give all that you have, as well as all that you are, to him who did not even withhold his own Son for your sake.

To pledge an amount for God's House is to be sure of God's promises to those who give and certain of how He will provide and help us throughout the process even when we do not see.

If you have committed the pledging matter in prayer and have by faith decided an amount to give in this phase of Arising & Build Unidus 'Now It's Happening!' (ends at 30th Apr 2011), please email to unidus@hopebrisbane.com.

2 Corinthians 9:6-11

⁶Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹As it is written:
"He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever."
¹⁰Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Sources: John Wesley on the Use of Money, Bob Kaylor
John Wesley on Money, Peter Ko