Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Your manners are the way you behave towards something or someone. Our behavior towards people or things needs to be given priority before money comes into the picture. This brings to my mind the concept of character versus charisma. Charisma has to do with a personal quality that attracts people and is usually based on aptitude whereas character defines the mental and moral qualities of a person and is based on attitude.

Your resources will go in the direction of the affections of your heart.

The opening scripture portrays this fact. In other words, what your heart desires is a determinant of where you invest your valuables. In this context, this means you would spend most of your money on what the content of your heart is. So to have our treasure go to the right place, we need to work on the heart and that is where manners or character comes in. Proverbs 4:23 says, Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. If you would behave wisely or foolishly when wealth comes to you, it would depend on the state of your heart.

The reason why manners must precede money is that, when the right character is not built, money controls you instead of you having control over it. When the Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:10 that For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows, this is it: manners would help us place people and relationships above the love for money so we don’t have to destroy others in the process of wealth acquisition. When love for money is above love for people, you don’t mind killing others to be wealthy.

 The devil isn’t interested in your money, he is targeting your faith which influences your behavior, character, and manners. Once he gets you to behave wrongly, he can influence what you spend money on. When manners don’t precede money, lives are about to be destroyed. Proverbs 29:2b When the wicked rule, the people groan. The truth is that money amplifies the character that has always been there. I saw someone’s caption that said: Don’t brag about your morals until you have money to fund your temptations. When we work on our hearts, we bless lives when we are wealthy. At that time, we value people and because the affections of our hearts are right, the money is used for the right things. Have you heard of certain rich and famous persons who later in their lives had all kinds of scandals? For some, ladies came out to say, they were sexually abused by these people. So, because they didn’t deal with that lust, when money came along, now they could easily execute it even on a higher scale.

I have heard people say that there are wealthy people who are not Christians or don’t know God so we don’t need God to be successful. This mentality is based on the belief that God is there for problem-solving. When God created the heavens and the earth and created man, His intention was not to solve problems. In fact, it was a problem-free world He created until man disrupted that plan through sin. God said in Genesis 1:26, let us make man in our own image and likeness so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky over the livestock and all the wild animals and over all the creatures that move along the ground. Image is the word for emphasis. Man is a reflection of God. When you stand in front of a mirror, you see your own image and reflection. He created us in his image not to solve our problems but to have a relationship. Having the image of God meant that whatever God had control over, man also had the same. Relationships are often built on commonalities. It could be common interests, common faith, common hobbies, etc. So God wanted someone who is his image – someone who had something in common with Him – to commune with. That was the main plan of God. And since we lost that image, Jesus came so that image could be restored and that’s why we talk about becoming like Christ, ie. the nature and character of Christ, Based on this background information, it’s all about character. God wants us to have that image that would influence our character first.

Many people feel they don’t need God because they think God is there for solving problems so when they don’t have ‘problems’, there is no need for God. And they have limited the world’s problems to only poverty when there are a lot more. As a result, some wealthy people who doubt God, don’t see the need for God but there has been news of very seemingly successful people who looked like they had everything and yet were depressed and committed suicide. Something was missing. That void had to be filled by God and only Him but they didn’t know.

I’ve heard many people say if they were God, they would just immediately kill all those saying there is no God. This goes to show that if people have power, influence, and affluence lives would be in danger. God, even though He created the universe, has given us a choice and yet some people are tyrants. If we have God’s nature before money comes into the picture, we wouldn’t use that blessing to hurt those who offend us. Like Joseph did to his brothers, we would be thankful that they hurt us. Deuteronomy 8:18 But remember the Lord your God for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth and so confirms his covenant which he swore to your ancestors as it is today. A covenant is an agreement and that is the purpose of God’s kind of wealth. He gives the ability to produce wealth to confirm a covenant- agreement. And can two walk together until they agree? God has a share in our wealth. Our wealth must serve His purposes and not draw people into hell.

Soul-winning would be much easier for the Christian who blesses people financially. Some people were introduced to negative lifestyles through people who gave them financial support, gifts and catered for their needs. By the time, these people were through with them, they couldn’t say no to what they were being introduced to. Christians can use the same strategy. When you help someone genuinely, by the time you mention Jesus to them, they regard your word because you have proven by your love and care for them that you know Jesus. It’s vital to have money because there’s so much we can do with it. But good manners, character, and behavior must precede money so we are directed to use wealth the right way and for the right purposes.

• Finances