THE TUG OF WAR FOR CONTROL OF OUR MINDS AND ATTITUDES

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“No one can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one 
and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise 
the other.  You cannot serve both God and Money.”  
(Matthew 6:24)

MEDITATION:
When the Bible speaks about ‘renewing our minds’, what does it really mean?
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by 
the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve 
what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

When God was merciful and gave us His gracious gift of salvation, 
He didn’t save us to remain the same; He saved us to become 
new people with different mindsets, new attitudes, and new perspectives.
God wants those who belong to Him to become more like His Son, Jesus.

And as we do, we develop the capability and the desire to glorify God.
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same 
attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one 
mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. (Romans 15:5)

We didn’t glorify Him before we received His salvation, and we can’t 
expect to glorify Him after being saved without making significant changes.
If we fail to change, 
then we are still ‘conforming to the pattern of the world’.

What exactly is the pattern of the world toward money?
It is basically to, 
“Get all we can, spend all we can; borrow all we can; and keep all we can”.
This conflicts with what Jesus taught us about greed and selfishness.
He wants us to focus more on obedience, benevolence, and thankfulness.

The pattern of the world is to discourage us from 
obeying God’s command to bring Him our tithes and offerings.
It is to create in us a mindset that we earned everything, so it is ours.
When we have this mindset, we will resent bringing our tithes to God.

However, when our minds are renewed, 
we acknowledge the fact that everything we have is provided by God 
(including our money and our talent for earning a salary).
With a new mindset we can look at tithing not with an attitude of, 
“I HAVE to give up 10% of my money”
but with a new thought and attitude of, “God has given me everything 
and He graciously allows me to keep 90% of what He has provided”.

With this kind of mindset, we will gratefully and joyfully obey His command to 
bring our tithes to His storehouse; knowing that when we do, we will be blessed, 
and that failure to do so is robbing God.
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. 
Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the 
floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room 
enough to store it. (Malachi 3:10)

“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, 
‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. (Malachi 3:8)

ACTION:
Have you developed a new mindset after receiving God’s salvation?
What changes have you made personally after being saved?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for all you provide. I pray that my mind 
will be transformed to become more like that of Jesus, so I will be more 
obedient and pleasing to You. Give me a generous heart so that others 
can see Your love and compassion through me. Thank You Jesus for 
giving Your all for me!”

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