Money. Is there any topic less/more desirable? Money is the single-most divisive item on the planet. Every single political argument in the upcoming election has its roots in money. The most stressful thing in my life, or the lack thereof, is grounded in money, or the lack thereof.
“You cannot love both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24)
“The love of Money is the root of all kinds of evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10)
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.” (Hebrews 13)
It killed Judas. It killed Ananias and Sapphira. Laodicea was condemned in part because of their attitude toward riches.The signs are innumerable. And yet I want MORE of it. What’s up with that?
The faithful around me are no help. It never fails. I constantly hear stories of this person or that person who felt called to give to some guy, or donate to this ministry, or put their last 20 dollars in the collection plate, and when they got home, there was a brand new Mercedes in the driveway with tickets to Europe in the glove compartment and a castle waiting for them in Luxembourg. I don’t have any of these cool stories to share. All of my blessings are in the natural. By that, I mean that I have been given no more (to the human eye at least) than my friends who spit on the cross Jesus was nailed to.
There are times when financially I feel like a housefly caught in between two panes of glass. I’m busting my hump trying to get somewhere. I can SEE it. The thing in between me and the life I desire is imperceptible. I know I can get there if I just try a little harder. BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
The Lord is going to test our hearts SO MUCH in this area in the decades to come. I don’t know if this is part of the test, or if it’s proof that I’m going to fail the test that arrives. I only know how to be faithful. What I do NOT know is how to be encouraged while being faithful. If God asks me to double my giving, that means I have a huge gap in my budget. Oh, and “treasures in heaven”, right?
Well, yes, actually. Treasures you can’t see are still treasures, no? And maybe I can’t see them, because I couldn’t possibly handle seeing them right now. Maybe the treasures that I’m getting are just a little bit better than a new Jeep, you think? Maybe the key to not being troubled by Money is to get rid of it. That’s how I deal with rashes, anyway.
Maybe there’s an ointment.
Posted by: payjata | August 11, 2007
Money. It’s like Monkey without the K
Posted in living
Jeff Page lives!
By: refe on August 11, 2007
at 2:48 am
I’m sorry you are feeling discouraged. We haven’t been able to figure out how we pay for anything in our lives, in years. It never makes sense on paper, and the Lord keeps putting more and more things in our path to give to. It’s almost like the money left over after giving turns into rubber. Regular money is just paper, but money that has been widdled down from giving gets stretchier and stretchier. God cares about your long term plans. He cares about your goals and dreams. He cares about your bills getting paid. He even cares that you get to buy that candy bar you were eyeing in the grocery line. God cares, and He will be faithful to you. Be brave, your Dad will catch you.
By: kristinshaffer on September 9, 2007
at 9:37 pm