Let's be honest finances can be a very sticky topic for most people. I know for me they can be, money is such a confusing thing, because I firmly believe we all think that more money will often make us happier when that is hardly ever the case. One thing I do believe is important is to develop a right and powerful perspective on money that will guide the way we live. This topic shouldn't be pushed under the rug or dealt with at a later date, because like it or not our issues with finances aren't going away. Let's take a good hard look at two things to remember about our finances.
1) Finances and money are nothing more than temporary created things. One of the most common topics discussed in the New Testament is in fact it is mentioned over fifty times in the New Testament alone! Needless to say the writers of the New Testament had a lot to say about money, it was an issue back then and it continues to be an issue today. Jesus gives us parables about a lost coin and a master who gave his servants talents. We're told to give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and we are clearly told that the root of all evil is for us to love money. That just scratches the surface on the Bible's teaching about money. Before we go one let me preface the remainder of this blog post by saying that these two ideas present, won't make money problems or difficulties go away. The purpose of the ideas is to help us develop a healthy, Christ-like perspective on money and finances.
We all have at some point in time in our lives wanted to keep up with the Jones, buy that new boat, or dump more money into our IRA. Let's face having financial security is not a bad thing, but it can become a bad thing when it is the very most important thing in your life. The studies have shown that money is one of if not the main contributor to failed marriages in this country. We need to get a grasp and understand money. Money is something that everyone needs, let's face it we need money to feed ourselves, clothe ourselves, put gas in our car, etc. But, money is something that never will satisfy us. I've been around for awhile, and I've never met anyone who spent their life striving and giving everything they had to get more money, advance in work, get more things, and at the end of the day I think we all can agree those are the most miserable people around. Money does provide our needs but should never be the basis of our identity and self-worth. If that were the case then Jesus, the Son of God, would be a failure because he had no money to his name. Understand that it is important to work hard, do your best, and provide for your loved ones. But, your job and your money should never affect your relationship with your family, your friends, and with your God.
2) Use money as a blessing
If you're reading this right now, you're blessed. There is no other way to say it. If you have a computer and can afford to pay for the Internet, then you're doing okay financially. Most people throughout the world have worries and concerns about whether or not they'll have enough food to eat. We often have concerns about our Internet being too slow, we didn't get a sale for the latest style of shoes, or and this is one of my favorites we don't have enough room for all of our stuff. The ironic part is that if I wanted to start a storage bin business in Zimbabwe, I would more than likely go bankrupt within a few months, a surplus of things is not a worldwide problem.
So, where does that leave us? Well, first of all I don't want you to feel bad for having things. But, those excess things you don't need, that shirt which hasn't been worn since 2009, those shoes which were last year's style, or that PlayStation video game, do you need to keep those? Sure, they may not be the VERY best anymore, but someone can use them and benefit from them. So, instead of practicing a lifestyle of hoarding why don't you practice a lifestyle of giving away and blessing others. The exact same thing is true of our finances, do we really need to eat out several times a month? Or could we cut back a little so others could benefit. There is a world filled with hurting people who need the love of Jesus and a little dose of our generosity let's strive to give them just that!
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