It's Only Money
How much is too much? How much is too little?

1. Does God want me to give my money away?
luke 3:10
(john the baptist) let he who has two cloaks give to him who has none
 
  matt 6:10-24
'where your treasure is, there is your heart'' 'no one can serve two masters'
 
  luke 12:13-21
the rich man and the barns
don't store up treasures for yourself on earth and not 'in heaven'
v33 'sell your possessions and give to charity'
 
  luke 18:18-27
the rich young ruler was told to sell everything
 
  luke 21:1-4
the widow's mite
 
  2 cor 8:1-15
paul encourages generosity among the corinthians
 
 
I think it's safe to say that God wants me to be generous with the money I have, especially regarding giving to needy Christians.
 
2. Is this the only thing I should do with my money? Should I be as poor as possible so that I can give as much as possible?
matt 26:1-12
perfume on jesus feet....

 
deut 15:7-11
note that this is one chapter after deut 14, where the talk is about celebration.
wealthy ot men: job, abraham, isaac, jacob, david, caleb, boaz (and many of the judges)
poor ot men: many of the prophets seemed to have lived in poverty
 
  theology of celebration
deut 14:24-26
I think that there are additional things I should do with my money. I am less sure of this than I am that I need to be generous, but I do think at this time that this is God's desire.
Additional things that I believe the Bible commands or encourages include spending money on celebration and saving money for the future.
 
3. How much should I spend on each of these areas?
phil 4:10-14
contentment regardless of wealth
 
  1 tim 6:1-10
be generous, hope in good not wealth
 
  1 tim 6:17-19
instructions to the rich
 
 
I think this is one of those cursed 'balance/wisdom' issues. There doesn't seem to be a fixed answer, instead there are multiple goals to keep in mind.
I worry that my own selfishness and greed will push me away from generosity; I think that's a healthy fear, and I believe that the true test of balance will always be the purity of my motives.
 
4. Things We Know
Be content with the amount of money you have.
1 Tim 6:6,7
But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment.
For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.
 
  Fight the love of money.
1 Tim 6:10,11
For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang.
But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue rightesousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
 
  Be generous and invest for the 'long term'
1 Tim 6:17-19
Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.
Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,
storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.