Money is a funny thing isn’t it?
Some people say it is the root of all evil, others say it can’t buy you happiness, and others say it can solve some of the biggest problems in life but it can’t solve them all. But I wonder, how many of us truly believe that? We say all of those phrases one moment and then the next moment we are searching for a better paying job with as many benefits as possible. (Now, I don’t think that a well paying job and great benefits is a bad thing but if it is our whole objective in life, what’s the point?) Those phrases are merely talk, which is cheap, if the actions are never applied to it. We seem so disgusted with society and idea of revolving around money, yet we jump right into the spinning cycle. HOW CAN WE GET OUT?!
Money is literally what drives most of our lives because without it, how can we survive? We need money in order to pay rent, to buy food to eat, to pay for the water bills, to buy new clothes when the old ones wear out, to buy gas in order to drive to work, to school, home, or to see your best friend.
I feel like I get caught in a trap with money because it is something that is so essential for my life to function how I want it to, but it can have such a control on my actions. Maybe that’s the problem, it is always how I want my life to function. Could it be possible that trusting God’s plan for my life would prove to be beneficial? After all He did say, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Shouldn’t that be enough for me? Yes. Throughout the day I sometimes think about how wonderful it would be to not have to be anxious about chasing after the next big thing or seeking out the most money. I long for a simpler life without the constant rat race to please society and my own self conscious fears so maybe that is where I should start?
Psalm 37:4-6
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
Trusting in God’s perfect plan is the first step to feeling overwhelmingly free of all that the world has to offer. By simply casting aside our own desires to keep control of our life and by letting our lives be consumed with God’s will, can literally change any outcome.
Matthew 19:21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Wait, sell my possessions if I want to be perfect, how does that make sense?
God wants us fully His because He created us to be that way that’s how it makes sense. In order to be our complete self we must not let anything stand in the way between us and that completeness. So if money is causing you trouble give it away to those who absolutely need it. Those who have much, must be quicker to give it. Life is much more satisfying when you help others than to only help yourself. After all, Jesus didn’t call us to ‘Love ourselves’, He called us to love God and love our neighbors. That means giving our time and money if it is needed, to build God’s kingdom and to build up other humans. Love is an act, not an emotion, and to love is to give up our desires in order to help another.
I don’t want to be controlled by anything that this world has to offer because in the end none of it will last. So I encourage you to give up on fighting to win the race that this world has to offer us, because we will never win it. Someone will always have a little more money than us and all of the material things that we collect on earth will fade away anyway. Give in to Jesus because he is the only thing that can satisfy our heart– not money, not fame, not power– only Jesus and His saving grace.
Ecclesiastes 5: 10-15
The Serpent Dove 