Money is useful! It can help you a lot! We need it when we receive the Student loan notice, Mortgage payment past due warning, Utility invoice, even sometimes medical bill. Then when we travel around the world or read the news, we learn that so many people are living in extreme terrible and poor conditions. We even would cry and really want to do something for those suffering in extreme poverty. Families are living in the dump (e.g Rio dump, Bantar Gebang in Jakarta) and some need to sell their children to the brothel so that the whole family can continue to survive. Nobody would stop asking: Why? Can someone do something to help them?
Money is complicated! No money. Want to make more money. But the reality is that it is so hard to make enough money. Too many mouths to feed. Too many needs to be met. Too many purposes of living to fulfill. Why is it never enough? Then the world says your future will depend on it. Your status, your living standard, your feeling of being successful, your image, your children’s opportunity, even your health, will highly depend on your wealth. Bankers say you need such and such amount. Our culture says you need such and such amount. Your own calculation also shows you need such and such amount. You are expected to make good decision now to prepare for your future which is highly related to your financial health at that moment. Are you able to make this decision wisely now? Are you scared of making whatever financial decision? Would you feel you are behind or fool when your friends sound money is so easy to make? It may be real that some people may be very successful in handling money matter. You believe you are one of them. Indeed, you do feel so high when you make the right financial decision and make good financial profits! However, are you so sure that you will never make one wrong financial decision? So sure that you will be able see the financial harvest as you expect? So sure that all financial outcomes have been under your calculation?
“Money, Money, Money, No money No talk.” Have Money Many Thoughts! No matter what, Money is your god?!
Money is real, useful, powerful, important and complicated! We need God to help us. Do you? (If not, I would pray that God can open your eyes to see that you need one true great God to help you! Trust me, money can easily become a big problem to you one day!)
Our true God is helping us, brothers and sisters and friends. GOD knows us very well. GOD knows we cannot handle money by ourselves in order to live a life with true joy, true abundance and true peace.
It is studied that Bible has 2000 verses related to money.
(https://www.biblemoneymatters.com/bible-verses-about-money-what-does-the-bible-have-to-say-about-our-financial-lives/)
Probably the most famous ones are
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matt. 6:24)
“ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Tim. 6:10)
“…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10b)
It is an amazing journey to be transformed from loving money to living abundantly in Christ. It is not that your bills would not come. It is not that your loan is suddenly gone. It is not that you lose all interest in using the money to fulfill your dream. But it is an amazing change in your heart that you are strengthened, protected, and guided to live a true life without succumbing yourself to money.
Higher purpose, Higher esteem, Higher status
The hardship and temptation in the world should not define us! They might alter our behaviors but it cannot dictate who you are. We are God’s children. We are God’s royal priesthood. And God all knows how much sacrifice we are making to follow HIM.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Pet 2:9)
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12)
Money issue is definitely pressuring us and trying to crashing us every day. It may make us work longer and harder than what we want. It may steal our precious time when we do want to use it for better purpose. It may tempt us to give up our integrity, value and even consciousness. But don’t let it pollute your mind and destroy your soul. The only way is not to fight against it by yourself. Believe that you are God’s precious children. Trust HIS words and promises which can safeguard your hearts. Always go back to God to get HIS healing. It is a very long battle. Believe that God can do amazing things to help you walk through the death valley to see the light at the end. HE is the light of the world. HE is the King of the Universe, Prince of Peace. His way is to lead us to live by faith and with heavenly glory. We should feel blessed and glorious to be HIS followers. Money does not define you!
Stronger heart, Stronger will, Stronger faith
Receiving utility bill, mortgage payment notice, laid-off letter, etc may make you feel very scared. But let’s read the story of King David when he was still fugitive:
“David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way. When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters…” (1 Samuel 30:1-6a)
It is not a money issue but it is much bigger than our money issue. David’s enemies took captive of his people’s wives and children and now they were so scared and frustrated that they wanted to kill David. Nobody wanted to think about what would happen to their wives and children. To David’s followers, it is all his fault. But let us read the second half of verse 6,
“But David found strength in the LORD his God.” (1 Samuel 30:6b)
How God helped David to face situation and save his people all depend on what attitude David held on to God. Today we have one money issue problem. Tomorrow we will have another one. Money is never enough to solve all our problems. We need a stronger heart and stronger will to face it. When we learn and trust to depend on God, God will strengthen our hearts and wills to face our problems step by step, day by day. At the same being, you are being transformed to become a Christian with strong faith. That is what God wants, right?!
Better mood, Better relationship, Better smile
God cares about you every day, not just how HE sees you but also how your family sees you. Imagine that you have lots of money but look down on people or you have no money and look very sad or frustrated the whole day, I believe nobody wants to get closer to you. However, if you know God, believe HIM, read and follow HIS words like what you read before, you will become a person with higher purpose, higher esteem, higher status, stronger heart, stronger will, stronger faith. Do you also like this person? On top of it, you become kind & gentle, you love and care, you have self-control, joy & peace, all because you have God.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
God is good. God is love. You will become the person that truly brings love, peace, joy to your family, not lots of money (together with pride) or only debt (together with fear and anger) back to home.
“ If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. (1John 4:15-16)
Last but not least, the best financial advisor is not your friends, your parents, definitely not stock broker, fund advisor, or fund manager. God is the one! Why? All those people can lose money, right?! God may not give you any direct advice about your home purchase, stock investment, business decision, etc. But HE “invests” His Son for your souls which are much more precious than your money! Then you should know who is the right person for you to follow!
Money, Money, Money, No money No talk.
Have Money Many Thoughts!
No matter what, Money, Money, you are never my God!!
Remark: “天才與白痴”錢錢錢 (1975) Lyric: 許冠傑, 薛志雄 Song: 許冠傑 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nR_B6TqRMM
(Rev. Sunny Wong is the pastor of MJCCC)
