There is no such thing as spiritual unemployment or spiritual retirement in God s kingdom. Our call to salvation is also a call to serving the Lord out of a heart of worship, obedience, gratitude, gladness, humility and love. And there is no such thing as lack of ability in God s kingdom. Because we invest most of our days working in exchange for money, there is a very real sense in which our money represents us. Therefore, how we use it expresses who we are, what our priorities are, and what s in our hearts.
Financial stewardship is more than sacrificial giving.
The way we spend, and abstain from spending, proves our growth in Christ-like discipleship. Despite Jesus teaching and practice of fasting, it is the most feared and misunderstood of all the Spiritual Disciplines. Few Spiritual Disciplines go so radically against the flesh and mainstream culture as fasting, but we cannot overlook the spiritual significance of voluntary denial of physical sustenance for God-centered purposes. For the disciple of Christ, confession not only has therapeutic value, but also eternal value. It should be viewed as both a personal and relational matter.