By Chuck Bentley

I travel frequently and am familiar with rules and regulations for my luggage. The primary rule is the size or volume of the bag. But far more important than that is the content—what is inside the bag. The airlines must know what is inside your luggage. So much so that they take an x-ray to see what you have packed.

In a similar way, man looks at the size of our bank account or a company or possessions. We are very concerned with volume when it comes to money. And I can assure you that most financial teachers out there today make sure this is your primary focus as well. But God uses the x-ray method to examine our hearts. He is more concerned with the content of our hearts than the size of our earthly treasures.

When Jesus confronted the Pharisees, he said their cup was clean on the outside but dirty on the inside. In other words, the part that man could see looked good, but what God could see looked bad. And what did his x-ray reveal? Their cup was dirty because it was filled with greed. Have you ever thought that you could be a financial success in man’s eyes and a failure in God’s eyes? God said we must clean the inside of the cup first and then the outside will be clean also. How do you accomplish that?

Ask God to reveal to you any attitudes that need to be made right. Seek His wisdom before making financial decisions. And finally, seek God and His righteousness above all else.

Originally posted 7/6/2015.