Bible on Money part 3

When Chuck Swindoll started his job at his church, he had a special sign made for his office that said, "What is your motive?". That sign helped him examine himself when things weren't so clear, even after searching the Scriptures.

Look at the two pictures of money. If I offered you a choice to pick whatever stack you wanted and you got to keep the money, no strings attached, which stack would you pick? The stack of $100 bills, or the small stack of coins? This is not a trick question. Obviously you would pick the stack of Benjamins. I think the question that God wants to ask is: Why? Deep down, what is your core reason for taking the bills? What is your heart saying? When visualizing yourself taking the bills, do you have eyes that are so wide they are bulging out of their sockets, flaring nostrils, arms so wide you could bear-hug Goliath, and a grip so strong not even Sylvester could conquer in "Over the Top"? Or are you gladly accepting it with humility, thanksgiving, and a loose grip? Strong grips on money tend to cause it to grow wings and fly away (Proverbs 23:5), but loose grips tend to cause it to grow (Luke 6:38). What do you plan on doing with it? Do you love money? Do you plan to spend every penny of it on yourself? Is it to invest in a get-rich-quick scheme? Is it to give away? Is it to set aside in a bank somewhere to grow moss and rust on it? Actions don't exactly tell us the whole picture - it's about the heart. That's what Jesus did when He came and preached the Sermon on the Mount; He talked about adultery and murder and peeled away the mere outward action of it to reveal that even lusting in the heart is adultery and hatred is murder, without any outward signs of the sin.

God asks us, "What is your motive? What is your heart like?"

So, if after searching the Scriptures and asking God to search your heart you are clean, go for it. Why not? Your heart is clean, your motives are pure. So, go for the stack. Go for the college degree that will enable you to make more money. Go for the master's degree, or the PhD, or the certification, or the continuing education that will make you more marketable. But, go for it secondarily. This should be secondary to your one main goal: "Seek first the kingdom". Be careful to stay pure in every step of the way, and the only way to do that is to have a close, intimate relationship with your Creator so He can guide you through it all.