Jesus didn’t mince words when He asked, “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?” (Luke 9:25). You can have all this world but still not have the One who holds the world. Building bigger barns and fattening your soul with the comforts of this fleeting world guarantees nothing with God. For God Himself said, “You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?” (12:20).

It’s been well said time and time again that money is like a microscope; magnifying what is really inside of us. In other words, when something affects our wallet, our reaction often reveals our heart. Are we generous where God has called us to be? Are we eager to meet the needs of others? Are we content in seasons of little and faithful during seasons of plenty? These are the questions that we ought to ask; trusting the Holy Spirit to convict and shape us through the Word.

In the Gospels, an average of one out of every 10 verses deals with money. Luke’s Gospel leads the way with the more talk of money than all the other Synoptic Gospels. Clearly, Jesus wanted us to be well-informed when it comes to how we manage money. As you and I seek to be teachable stewards under the sanctifying chisel of the Holy Spirit, Luke’s Gospel can be a great place to turn for guidance.

Here are several principles for money management from Luke, along with references for further study.

Followers of Jesus march to different beat when it comes to money

Even before Jesus arrived, John the Baptist was announcing His arrival and declaring that followers of the Lamb of God would be called to a renewed way of living — and giving. The Baptist called for the “fruit of repentance” (Luke 3:8) and when asked, “Then what shall we do?” (3:10) he told them to share food and clothing (3:11), conduct business with integrity (3:12-13), and if they were in powerful positions to be content refrain from monetary exploitation (3:14). This is different.

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