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Most of us don’t wake up intending to serve money. And yet, over time, financial pressure, goals, and anxieties can quietly begin shaping our decisions, priorities, and even our sense of security.

Jesus addresses this directly in Luke 16:13: “You cannot serve God and money.” But that doesn’t mean money has no place in the life of a believer. It simply means money must never be our master.

The invitation of Scripture is far better: not to serve money, but to serve God with money.

One of the most important starting points is recognizing that money is not inherently bad—it’s a gift.

Ecclesiastes 5:19 reminds us, “Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them—this is the gift of God.”

God is not opposed to provision or even enjoyment. In fact, when Jesus fed the five thousand in Matthew 14, He didn’t just meet the need—there were twelve baskets left over. The message isn’t excess for its own sake, but that God’s provision is abundant and generous.

When we begin here, with gratitude, money shifts from something we grasp for to something we receive.

At the same time, money carries real spiritual weight.

1 Timothy 6:10 says, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.” Notice—it’s not money itself, but our love for it that leads us astray.

Money has a way of exposing our hearts. Every financial decision—spending, saving, giving—asks a deeper question: What am I trusting right now?

Money is morally neutral, but how we use it is deeply spiritual.

Scripture consistently points us beyond accumulation.

Ephesians 4:28 tells us to work “so that [we] may have something to share with anyone in need.” That’s a profound shift. We don’t earn simply to build our own lives—we earn to participate in God’s provision for others.

This reframes everything:

Money finds its greatest purpose when it flows outward, not when it’s hoarded inward.

Jesus’ words in Luke 16:13 remind us that money must remain a servant, never a master.

John Wesley captured this beautifully when he wrote: “Money is an excellent gift of God… it is food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, raiment for the naked.”

That’s a picture of redeemed money—money used for purposes that reflect the heart of God.

There’s one more truth that frees us: money is temporary.

1 Timothy 6:7 says, “We brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.”

Every dollar we manage is something we steward for a season. But how we use it can have a lasting impact. When we remember that:

So before your next financial decision—whether it’s spending, saving, investing, or giving—try asking: “Lord, how can this money serve You and others?”

Because money is never the destination. It’s a tool placed in our hands to accomplish something far greater than ourselves.

This is a key theme explored in

Can seasons of darkness help us see more clearly than ever? Singer & author Andrew Peterson describes his path through depression to resurrection.

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Some may think Jesus is only for the needy, the neglected, the “down and out.” But Pastor Greg Laurie has pointed out before, Jesus is for the “up and outers,” as well. He’s for those who’ve tried and failed, He’s for those who’ve tried and succeeded. He’s for everyone! For God so loved the world! Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us follow the trajectory of one man’s walk of faith. He knew there was something more out there . . . and he found it!

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Are your words planting a beautiful garden or a patch of weeds? While culture encourages venting, neuroscience reveals that our brains wire themselves to believe what we say. Break the cycle of repeating thoughts of defeat! Discover the life-changing power of agreeing with God's truth and watching Him transform your mind.

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KYLE IDLEMAN is the senior pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. He is the bestselling and award-winning author of Not a Fan, Aha, and Grace Is Greater. He is a frequent speaker at national conventions and influential churches across the country. Kyle and his wife, DesiRae, have four children and live on a farm where he doesn't do any actual farming.

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You know, most of us have heard words like this when we're going through a hard time, "Oh, I understand how you feel." Maybe you have muttered under your breath, "You have no idea." One situation in which those words should probably never be spoken, are a man to a woman in labor. Yeah, that's right! Now, I've been through labor with my wife three times, but I can not say I understand how she felt. Labor is easier for some women than others I understand, but having a baby is not easy for anybody. I still remember vividly our first time around the maternity track. My wife's increasingly frequent contractions and the trip to the hospital, and then the hours of intensifying pain, and then the last most intense pains of all. And suddenly, a baby girl! Now, I know it's easy for me to say, but I know my wife would have always agreed. It was a painful process with a glorious result. And you know, the result has lasted a lot longer than the pain.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Good In the Pain."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Romans 8. Here we're going to meet a man with the credentials to talk about pain, about hard times. Paul has been brutally slandered, he's been beaten, he's been attacked, he's been left for dead, he's been arrested on false charges, he's been in prison unjustly, been ship wrecked, deserted. What a list!

In Romans 8 he talks about "our present sufferings." And he even speaks symbolically of this world "groaning as if in the pains of childbirth." And then later on in the chapter he mentions trouble, hardship, famine, sword, and then he says this, "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." How can that be with all the worst pain in life? It goes back to a God-given perspective on the pain of your life. And that's in Romans 8:28. He says, "And we know that all things are working together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to God's purpose."

So, what's the good in the pain? Well, it says, "For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son." In other words, the good that comes out of the pain is to make you what this world needs so desperately; someone who is more like Jesus.

Now, God doesn't send all the pain; some of it He allows. But it can't come to you unless your Heavenly Father okays it. And how does God decide what He will allow to come into your life? I think He's asking, "Could this make him or her more like Jesus?"

My consistent experience has been that the hardest things I've gone through have been God's most powerful tools in my life: faith, humility, compassion, mercy, learning the power of prayer, closeness to Jesus. They have been the blessed results of pain that made me know and trust God as never before. And like the pain of our daughter's arrival, my wife has enjoyed the result a lot longer than she had to endure the pain.

Because God's agenda in our lives is eternity, not just 70 years. The payoff will always be much greater than the pain. You may be in a hurting time right now and you don't have a choice. But it really matters what you focus on. If you focus on the pain you're going to become bitter and self-focused, burned out, and worn out, and negative. But if you focus on how God can use this pain to make you more like Jesus, you'll have the baby that the pain is supposed to give you. The tragedy will be if you get the pain but you miss the point.

If you're hurting today, remember that your loving Father, who sent His Son to die in your place, is using your hurt to bring about a beautiful result, which you will be enjoying long after the process is a distant memory.

Approximately one in five children struggles with some form of mental illness. Dr. Nicole Wilke helps parents to create a safe, supportive space for their kids where they can develop resilience and heal from trauma. Growing up with over 70 foster siblings in her lifetime, Nicole has extensive experience with vulnerable kids. Using biblical principles and scientific research, she’ll offer practical advice for overcoming adversity to thrive in life.

Receive a copy of the books Overcoming: What Scripture and Science Say About Resilience and Caleb Koala’s Comeback Ride: A Journey to Overcoming -- plus an audio download of "Helping Children Overcome Adversity and Trauma" -- for your donation of any amount!

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