The late Larry Burkett often used to say,”Show me your checkbook, and I’ll tell you what you care about most.”
That can feel uncomfortable, but it is worth considering. Our spending habits often reveal more than our intentions do. We may say that faith, family, generosity, or serving others matters most to us, but our financial choices will tell us what we really value.
This is especially true when it comes to giving. How much money we keep for ourselves, and what we are willing to give to help others sheds light on this truth.
Giving is one of the clearest ways we show concern for someone beyond ourselves. By nature, most of us are inclined toward self-preservation and selfishness. We want to make sure we are secure, comfortable, and prepared before we think about what others may need.
There is nothing wrong with providing for our responsibilities or planning wisely. But God invites us to consider whether keeping more for ourselves has become a greater priority than trusting Him and serving others.
It Is Not Only What We Give, But What We Keep
Jesus’ encounter with the widow at the temple helps us see this clearly.
In Mark 12:41–44, Jesus watched people place offerings into the temple treasury. Wealthy people gave large amounts. Then a widow came forward and gave two very small coins. Her gift was tiny by every visible measure. Yet Jesus told His disciples that she had given more than anyone else.
Why?
The wealthy gave out of their abundance. The widow gave out of the very little that she had. In other words, there was no risk or sacrifice to themselves to give what they gave. Her gift revealed a different kind of trust and a different set of priorities.
Jesus was not saying that every believer must give away everything they own. He was showing that the amount of a gift is not always the best measure of its generosity. God sees what a gift represents in the heart of the giver.
A large gift may require very little sacrifice. A small gift may represent profound faith.
The question is not, “How does my giving compare with someone else’s?” The question is, “What do my financial choices reveal about what I value most?”
Money Can Reveal What Has Our Heart
Money is a powerful tool, but it can also expose what we depend on for security, comfort, approval, or control.
Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Our spending can reveal whether we are seeking satisfaction in what money can buy or in God Himself.
This does not mean we should feel guilty for enjoying the good things God provides. Scripture never teaches that possessions are automatically bad or that Christians should reject comfort, celebration, or wise preparation.
But it does warn us against allowing money and possessions to become the center of our lives.
When our primary focus becomes upgrading our lifestyle, protecting every extra dollar, or pursuing more for ourselves, we can lose sight of the purpose of what God has entrusted to us. Money becomes something we serve rather than something we steward.
"For men who set their hearts on being wealthy expose themselves to temptation. They fall into one of the world's traps, and lay themselves open to all sorts of silly and wicked desires, which are quite capable of utterly ruining and destroying their souls. For loving money leads to all kinds of evil, and some men in the struggle to be rich have lost their faith and caused themselves untold agonies of mind."
1 Timothy 6:9-10, (J.B. Phillips New Testament)
Setting God-Pleasing Priorities
One of the best ways to evaluate our priorities is to look honestly at how we spend. A written spending plan or budget can help. It gives us a clear picture of where our money is going and helps us make intentional choices instead of reacting in the moment.
As you review your finances, consider these questions:
Am I regularly acknowledging God as the owner and provider of all I have?
Does my spending reflect what I say matters most—faith, family, generosity, and serving others?
Are my lifestyle choices helping me live with contentment, or are they fueled by comparison and pressure?
Is there room in my budget to give consistently and respond when someone has a need?
If I gave God an account of every spending decision this month, would I be comfortable with what it reveals?
These questions are not meant to produce shame. They are meant to help us grow.
Matthew 6:25-33 comforts us with the fact that God provides for our needs, and He calls us to be wise with what He gives us. But Scripture also reminds us that His provision is not only for our own comfort. It creates opportunities to bless, serve, and give.
Second Corinthians 9:8 says that God provides what we need and gives us an abundance “for every good work.” That abundance may look different in every season, but the invitation is the same: use what God has placed in your hands faithfully.
A Better Way to Measure Financial Success
Financial success is not simply having more money, fewer problems, or a more impressive lifestyle. It’s learning to live with gratitude, wisdom, contentment, and generosity, and to be faithful with both the little and the great.
When we manage money well, we are better able to provide for our responsibilities, prepare for the future, enjoy God’s gifts, and help meet the needs of others. That is where money becomes a tool for something greater than ourselves.
Your financial choices are telling a story. The good news is that, with God’s help, you can keep writing it.
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