Spiritual things must be measured not because God needs validation, but because growth requires evidence.
God measures what He intends to mature.
Fruit is measured.
Faithfulness is measured.
Obedience is measured.
Stewardship is measured..
Creation was measured.....
Without measurement, spirituality becomes imagination.
And this is exactly why so many people misunderstand Jesus when He talks about money.
They think He’s talking about finances.
He’s talking about the heart.
Money: Heaven’s Fastest Heart Test
Money is one of the fastest and most honest measurements of your heart because money often means more to us than we will ever admit.
It represents:
- Security
- Control
- Comfort
- Status
- Freedom
- Power
So when Jesus speaks about money, He is not reducing spirituality to dollars - He is exposing what governs you.
In Luke 16:13, Jesus says:
“No servant can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and mammon.”
Mammon is not just currency - it represents misplaced trust in wealth. Jesus does not say money is evil. He says you cannot serve both God and wealth.
The issue is allegiance.
Then He goes deeper.
In Luke 16:11, He says:
“If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?”
Notice the contrast: money vs. true riches.
True riches are spiritual authority, revelation, eternal reward, kingdom influence.
And Jesus connects access to true riches with faithfulness in handling money.
That means money is a test, and a tool - not a treasure.
A Story About Measurement
There was a man who prayed constantly for increase.
He fasted.
He sowed.
He declared abundance.
Eventually, he received a financial breakthrough. His income doubled.
But something unexpected happened.
He became more anxious.
More guarded.
More suspicious.
Less generous.
Less prayerful.
His income increased, but his peace decreased.
One day he realized something sobering:
God didn’t increase his money to test his wallet. He increased his money to reveal his heart.
The lesson wasn’t about what he earned.
It was about the lessons he didn't learn, and was about what he was becoming.
Because it’s not about the money you earn, it’s about the lessons you learn.
It’s not about the money you earn, it’s about the person you become on the inside.
Money didn’t change him.
It exposed him.
And exposure is a form of mercy.
Where Your Treasure Is
Jesus makes it even clearer in Matthew 6:21:
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Money doesn’t just follow your heart.
Your heart follows your treasure.
What you invest in shapes what you become attached to.
Then just a few verses later, in Matthew 6:24, He repeats the warning:
“You cannot serve God and mammon.”
Why repeat it?
Because money competes for worship.
The Root Issue Is Love
Paul later explains the internal dynamic in 1 Timothy 6:10:
“For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil…”
Money itself is neutral.
Love is not.
Money simply reveals what you already love.
You can say you trust God - but your spending patterns reveal your theology, and philosophy...
You can say you love people, but your generosity reveals your compassion.
You can say you are surrendered - but your control over resources reveals your true master.
Money is measurable.
And because it is measurable, it becomes one of heaven’s most honest diagnostic tools.
It’s Not About How Much - It’s About Stewardship
When you truly give your heart to God, money no longer owns you.
It becomes a tool.
You stop serving it.
You start stewarding it.
It’s not about how much you have.
It’s about how much you can steward without it corrupting you.
If money money Amplifies:
- Pride
- Anxiety
- Greed
- Fear
- Control
Then it is mastering you.
But if money makes you:
- Generous
- Disciplined
- Strategic
- Compassionate
- Kingdom-minded
Then you are mastering it.
And let me say this clearly:
I am not diminishing external achievements or accomplishments.
Success is not evil.
Wealth is not wicked.
Increase is not sin.
But if you are not adjusting and transforming internally,
Your life becomes a spiritual junk house.
Full on the outside.
Cluttered on the inside.
Money without inner transformation is empty weight.
Money without relationship with God is unstable ground.
Your motives are more valuable than any material mammon.
Because God does not anoint accumulation.
He anoints alignment.
True Riches vs Temporary Wealth
Money is temporary.
True riches are eternal.
Money can buy comfort.
True riches release authority.
Money can create influence.
True riches create impact.
Money can elevate your platform.
True riches establish your legacy.
This is why spiritual things must be measured.
Measurement:
- Reveals maturity
- Exposes loyalty
- Protects you from self-deception
- Prepares you for increase
And money just happens to be one of the clearest measuring rods.
Because when God can trust your heart with resources,
He can trust your heart with influence.
And when He can trust your heart with influence,
He can trust your heart with authority.
Money is not the goal..
Alignment is.
And heaven always measures what it plans to multiply.