Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
Money. Money. Money. We can’t live without it and most of us don’t know how to live with it successfully. Let me rephrase. Most of us don’t know how to live lives not confined by money (and what it can buy.) I’ve seen this operate over and over again in my own life. Ever since I took my first job as tomato picker when I was at the tender age of fourteen, I’ve been trying to make my little stretch into a lot. I would play around with the figures in an attempt to save more, spend less, and still have enough for my needs.
Contentment Is A Matter Of The Heart
I played this numbers game time and again into my early twenties until I said, “I do,” almost forty-one years ago and handed the budgeting plan over to my thrifty spouse. While we’ve always been frugal, there have been a smattering of times when we had extra money and we happily splurged. But for the most part, we routinely checked our online budgeted accounts before taking off with the credit cards or cash and spending. All this is the backdrop to my current financial state of mind.
One of the most valuable (spiritual and financial) lessons we can learn is that all the material goods in the world won’t satisfy us for long. Don’t believe me? Try reading the book of Ecclesiastes nice and slow. You’ll see that even Solomon in all his glory and wealth beyond measure wasn’t content with his hoard of stuff. Solomon went even further to try and fill his heart’s needs by buying, building, or burying himself in one extravagance after another. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Absolutely nothing satisfied.
We Can Learn From Biblical Characters
Ever wonder why God included the specific true stories throughout the bible that He did? It’s our roadmap for our lives, that’s why. We can learn from our forefathers’ mistakes and errors (and if we’re smart…avoid them.) I’ve often read and reread the book Solomon wrote and thought to myself, “if the wisest man who ever lived tried everything under the sun and he wasn’t happy, then I should save myself the trouble, the grief (and the expense).” Still, human nature being what it is…we have our moments when we mentally wander and wonder what it would be like.
God Is Our True Treasure
I’m grateful for the financial parameters God has placed around my life. There have been countless key decision-making junctures when either the surplus or lack of money helped guide us where God intended we go. Since He owns everything on earth anyway, we should trust Him enough to know how much money we can handle without becoming independent of Him and turning to our own ways (and wisdom.) Money. Money. Money. We can’t live without it and most of us don’t know how to live with it successfully until we turn (and take heed) of God’s unfailing Word on the matter.
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