I’ll be honest with you—I didn’t want to talk about money. Not today. Not when my head was pounding and my energy low.
So here I am, sharing what I wish someone had told me years ago: financial wellness is spiritual wellness.
You see, there was a time in my life when I thought I was doing okay. I was giving when I could, tossing a few bucks here or there if I saw a need. I thought I was generous. But then something happened—a moment that turned my pocketbook inside out and, honestly, my heart too.
A missionary came to speak, and I was moved—like, deeply moved. I felt God tugging on me, calling me to be part of something bigger. But when I went home and looked at my finances, reality smacked me hard. I was overextended. My income was already spent before it hit my account. I couldn’t even make a small monthly commitment. That was the day I realized I wasn’t as free as I thought I was. I was financially unwell. Spiritually stunted.
And I knew… Jesus wanted more for me.
He didn’t want me weighed down by money stress. He wanted me to live intentionally, not impulsively. To plan, not panic. To give with joy, not guilt.
I’m guessing you might know that feeling too—worrying about bills, second-guessing every swipe, longing to give but not sure if you can. It’s why I want to ask you the same question that’s haunted me in the best way:
What if Jesus isn’t asking what you’d do with a million dollars, but what you’re doing with what you already have?
Here’s the truth: financial wellness isn’t about how much you make, but how faithfully you steward what’s already in your hands. And spoiler alert—it all belongs to God anyway. Every dollar. Every gift. Every resource.
That realization changed me. It pushed me to budget with purpose. To give deliberately. To trust deeply.
I’ve watched people from every background—single moms, college students, retirees—start tithing with trembling faith, and every single one of them said the same thing: God made a way. Somehow, even when the numbers didn’t make sense, they found themselves with more peace, more purpose, more joy.
Because that’s what happens when you put God first. Not just in theory, but in your finances.
And listen, I know money talk makes us squirm. It stirs up fear, guilt, shame, maybe even anger. But maybe that’s exactly why we need to talk about it. Because where your treasure is, there your heart is also. And if we’re honest, many of us are clinging more tightly to our comforts than we are to our Creator.
So I’m inviting you—not guilting you—to take one bold, faithful step. Maybe it’s sitting down and actually looking at your budget. Maybe it’s starting to give regularly, even if it’s small. Maybe it’s having an honest conversation with your spouse or your community about how money is affecting your soul.
And for those of us in the church—especially at The Gathering Place—we’ve been entrusted with something rare: resources. A few million dollars that came from the sale of a building. But that money isn’t the mission. It’s the tool to fulfill the mission. The real question is: are we using it to transform lives? Are we irritating our leaders in the best way by asking, “How can we use this to heal our community?”
You have a role to play. Yes, you. Not just sitting in the pews or watching from the sidelines. The church isn’t a show—it’s a movement. And the world is watching how we move.
So, as we continue this Lenten season, here’s the question I want you to wrestle with: Where is your treasure? And what does that say about your heart?
