When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?" But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it." So they brought it. And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" They said to Him, "Caesar's." And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at Him.-Mark 12:14-17 Do you see life as "the glass half empty" or "the glass half full"? Sure, there are tons of things that happen around us (probably every day) that really make us wonder what's going on with our city, state, and nation. But we need to learn to pick our spots and be thankful for the things God has provided for us. Many Christians yell and scream about paying taxes that they know are funding a lot of things that are contrary to God's Word, both morally and spiritually. So when we read these words of Jesus, we need to take them to heart. He is saying that we need to give our money to the government, as they have required. And if that's the case, then we need to see all of the beauty in our world where our tax money goes, like good roads, parks, stop lights, and others things that protect us and gives us enjoyment. Be thankful for the police and the fire departments that keep us safe. Be thankful that we're not in a nation that is run like an anarchy; man, what a mess we'd have on our hands. Be a person who is thankful for the good things that are taking place. Sure, we'd like to fix so many of the issues that we see, but we need to take time to be thankful people.
And don't forget about the power of Jesus' final statement either: "Render to God the things that are God's." We need to stop worrying so much about where our money is going ("treasures on earth") and start focusing on where our hearts are focused. Is your heart full of worship? Does your heart seek after the things of the Lord? Give your tax money freely, but make sure you are also freely giving your heart to the Lord for His work and His purposes. We won't be able to change government, but we have easy access and ability to change our hearts. The Bible says to trust in the Lord with all of your heart; that's a great place to start--trust in Him, and give to Him what is due Him.
"Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope" (Psalm 16:9).
"But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation" (Psalm 13:5).
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).
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