“The word "Mine" in its fully possessive sense cannot be uttered by a human being about anything.” ~ C. S. Lewis

If a private investigator followed you around for a week and kept of a log of all your activities, then accessed your bank accounts and credit card statements and reviewed your purchase history, what would he conclude about your beliefs?

Maybe you're a pretty decent person. After all, you didn't do anything to actively hurt anyone else last week. You even dropped a few dollars into the homeless man's hat as you strolled through downtown. But do you believe that your time is your own? Do you agree with the McDonald's coffee cup slogan about “My time,” which you zealously protect each day? Did you consider your hours at church nothing more than fulfillment of an obligation, and your time in prayer a “generous donation”? Would your purchases reflect the attitude that your cash is primarily for your own entertainment? Or would the private investigator see a bank account run with the outlook of an investment manager?

As Americans, we value our independence highly. We think that we can be our own boss. But the truth is that you will always serve someone. As Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:24

You say that you love God, and that you know He is gracious and good. But does your spending say that you trust Him to provide for your needs? And does your giving say that He has your utter devotion? What would that private investigator conclude about your view of God after looking at your bank account?

Share your thoughts on these questions in the comments.

This post was written by Laura Wilson, finance deacon in Karis Church. Laura recently wrote another article about creating a lifestyle of giving.

You can read other articles in the Abide series here.