In life, what is the one things that will give you sleepless nights? What can make you go to bed late and get up early in the morning? Money, Money Money! You can be on either end of the spectrum either concerned about what to do with it, where to put it and how to protect it, or could be wondering how to create it or make more of it. It is often said that money makes the world go ’round and as you look around the world you will notice that people will do anything to obtain this money that we all need for our healthcare, education, food and shelter.
As people become desperate to gain the money they need for their daily needs, there is an ever present danger of allowing money to define us. If we are unable to buy the latest shoes or the newest gadget, many find themselves in a position where they feel inadequate because their money does not stretch that far.
To allow money to define oneself is dangerous, especially as Christians. The Bible clearly states that we should keep ourselves free from the love of money. Jesus also tells us that we cannot serve both God and money. By being desperate to continually gain more money to obtain frivolous possessions, we begin to treat money as our master, as it dictates our mood and behaviour. This moves our focus from God whose place is at the very centre of everything we everything we have.
Ask yourself where your value is. It is easy to be defined by how much we earn and the possessions we are able to buy, but there is no fulfilment there. God fulfils us and when our eyes become fixed on Him again and our worth is found in Him, we are free to put money in its place as something to be managed in a healthy way, without allowing it to rule our lives. Many have lost their moral fabric, their loved ones or their health in pursuit of this earthly treasure and one of the hot issues I have identified over the years which can be a big stumbling block in marital relationships in how money is handled and viewed in the home.
We must develop a healthy relationship with money, whilst understanding how it works, so we can use it to obtain all the things we need to function and thrive from day to day. Instead of being led by the latest trends and money-making methods, we can allow God to dictate how we spend what we earn. Freedom from the love of money begins when we acknowledge that everything we have belongs to God, including our cash. We are called to be generous people and even though this doesn’t end with giving our money generously, it is certainly a good place to begin. God is our source and our provider and if we rely on Him, acting prudently and allowing his principles together with that still small voice of the Holy Spirit to guide us in the decisions that we make, everything we need will be given to us.
I think it is time to Put money in its place!
