This is the last lesson in the Managing Finances God’s Way series. My church has been working through this material during our Sunday School classes. Overall, I’ve been pleased with the quality of the material and the information offered in this study.

In this final lesson we look at the topic of how God desires us to enjoy the resources that he has blessed us with. The DVD lesson was led by Chuck Bentley, from Crown Financial Ministries.

Bentley teaches us that “God truly wants us to enjoy the resources that he has given to us.” He gives us four supporting ideas from the Bible that confirm this to be true.

1. The Lord expects us to take care of our families. 1 Timothy 5:8 says, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” God blesses us with resources, and He intends for part of those resources to be used to provide for the family.

2. The Lord wants us to enjoy regular periods of rest and refreshment. We each need opportunities to be refreshed and renewed by God. Even with a hectic schedule, God desires us to allow our resources to give us that rest that we need.

3. The Lord tells us that when we enjoy his blessings, we bring him more glory. Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 says, “Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.”

4. The Lord instructs us to enjoy blessing the people he puts in our lives to serve. God intends the blessings and resources to benefit not only ourselves, but also our neighbors who may be in need. 2 Corinthians 9:11 says, “You 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.”

Bentley goes on to share dangers that can rob us of our enjoyment of God’s resources.

1. Worry - Matthew 6:25 says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” Bentley encourages us to replace anxiousness with trust and prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

2. Comparison - When we compare ourselves with other people, we often end up becoming prideful, or feeling a sense of self-pity. The antidote to this danger is to replace comparison with contentment. Hebrews 13:5 says, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’.”

3. Selfishness - This sin can so easily creep up on us as we enjoy what God has blessed us with. The goal should be to imitate Christ in his selflessness. This selfishness should be replaced by sacrifice. Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

4. False Guilt - If the handling of our finances needs improvement, God offers us forgiveness and grace. We can replace this sense of guilt with gratitude because we know that God is faithful to those who confess and seek forgiveness. We are all in the process of becoming more like Christ, and so there is always room for growth. Romans 8:1 teaches us that, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

In the end, what it all boils down to is an issue of the heart. Jesus taught us that we cannot serve two masters. We will love one and hate the other. Though our money and resources may give us a false sense of worth or security, we should never place our hope in these material things. Only God who is the provider of all things deserves our trust and obedience.