Managing Money vs. Owning Money

Money tends to rule many lives. It also tends to separate people from God. Our financial role is to be managers of our money and not owners of our money. When we have a chance to use our money for good, we should jump on those opportunities!

Imagine if the pastor of your church gave you the weekly offering and told you to spend it on whatever you think best. How would you spend that money? You would probably spend it on noble things. Why don’t we view our own personal money like that. Most people will say that we need to spend money on surviving. This is true! But what about that extra money you have. Are you just an end-user of that money or do you invest it into making the world a better place? God gives us the opportunity and privilege of investing money for him.

Any money we earn from our employers or other places is God’s money. We are simply the middle-men in the scenario so to speak. If we want to be truly happy with where our money goes we should not be the end-users, rather strive to be God’s middle-men.

“We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

-CS Lewis from The Weight of Glory

What Are the True Investments In Life?

Have you ever planted something and watched it grow? Maybe you grew something in a garden or somewhere in you front or backyard. When it’s finished growing aren’t you proud of what you made? You planted something and it grew because of you. You invested it in something and it grew. Whether it be some fruit or a large tree, it grew because of what you did. This is the same thing in life. Our actions bear consequences. We should invest wisely and make eternal investments. Like many other people, I was raised to value things of this world. What can I do to make myself happier? I never really thought about the benefits of investing in other people. I wanted to be rich and money but never thought about being rich towards other people. After studying the Christian faith, I learned that the Christian duty is to think outside of one’s own personal interest. The best way to do this is generosity towards others. Everyday we are confronted with issues that make us want more.

You may go to a friends house that is nicer than yours or see someone driving a nicer car. Our immediate reaction is to want what they have. Everyone is told to desire the “good life.” But when you get down to it, this isn’t our permanent residence. We really can’t take those things with us. I’m not saying we don’t need anything for ourselves. We need money to survive. But we usually want we can’t have when nothing ever seems to be good enough. The things we use to fills this gap often leave us empty though. The true wealth is investing in what God wants. God can fill that gap for us. Many people fill this gap with money, sex, television. You name it. But I feel true fufillment is investing in God’s Kingdom.

Psalm 49 16-17:

Don’t be afraid of rich people because their houses are more beautiful. They don’t take anything to the grave; their wealth won’t go down with them.

1 Timothy 6: 17-19

Command those who are rich with things of this world no to be proud. Tell them to hope in God, not in their uncertain riches. God richly gives us everything we enjoy. Tell the rich people to do good, to be rich in doing good deeds, to be generous and ready to share. By doing that, they will be saving a treasure for themselves as a strong foundation for the future. Then they will be able to have the life that is true life.