On Money

If I asked you to list the top 4 major problems our generation faces, what would you say?

I stared at my computer for about 10 minutes and thought. At first my list was erratic and haphazard. But the more I thought, the more I narrowed it down and began seeing a theme.

I’m going to spend each day of this week addressing each one of the topics I came up with. If you are facing a challenge in one of those areas, know that you are not alone. Feel free to write me with additional thoughts.

The first major problem I’d like to discuss is quite obvious.

Money.

You can refer to the problem by a number of other words: possessions, greed, credit card debt, the health care crisis, the economic crisis, the housing downturn, overspending, under-making, unemployment, increasing college prices, increasing national debt, decreasing social security funds, increasing oil prices, and even the middle east crisis which directly or indirectly affects oil prices hence becoming a financial crisis, and on and on and on.

We are a people obsessed with money. And although I believe that financial woes are not new to the human race, I do believe that the ease with which we can make and spend money is unique and devastating.

Just the right click of the mouse and you can find yourself the owner of, well, anything. Shopping is more convenient and around the clock. The venues to purchase a product – be it big or small – are overwhelming. Products are reinforced by every source of media we expose our eyes to: television, internet, billboards, radio, ipad, iphone, ipod, i anything.

But can I bring the problem a little closer to home for you?

You’re sitting at your computer reading this blog. Meanwhile, you know how much you owe on that credit card, and you know exactly what the interest rate is. You have tried to take a stab at fixing your financial woes, but the mountain is so big you have no idea where to start. It’s like trying to climb Mount Everest with a fork and a windbreaker. Impossible. So you’ve given up.

To make matters worse, your husband just lost his job. You were counting on that bonus plan at work, but they’ve cut it because of lack of profits. Your kids need new shoes for school. You have no idea where to go anymore. You sit around your home thinking of ways to make just a little bit more. You’ve cut your spending to the bare bones. Your back is against the wall. You can’t go out with friends anymore, because you can’t afford the gas or the meal, and frankly, you’re just depressed and angry.

Angry at yourself. But also angry at God. How could God not see how hard you’re trying to make this word? How could God, who says He will provide for your need, still sit back and watch while you slowly become a shadow of your former self? Anytime now, you’d think God would find the time for a little miracle on your behalf.

You used to believe. Now you’re so apathetic about your faith. You haven’t completely given up yet. I mean, you wouldn’t want God to actually get angry at you, but you’re just going through the motions. You go to church on Sundays. But even that brings you down because you see how well others are doing.

Life is not fair.

If you’ve been in church before you may have heard the facts. Facts that probably mean nothing to you as you ponder the despair of your financial portfolio. Facts like there are more than 800 Scriptures about money. Jesus talked more about money than heaven and hell combined. Eleven of 39 parables have to do with money. One out of 7 verses in the gospel of Luke talks about money.

Facts that mean nothing to you.

Here are some basic observations I’ve made about money.

1. No matter how much money you have, it’s never enough.

2. The more you make the more you spend.

3. Debt is not just a problem of the poor.

4. Giving is harder the more you make.

5. Money is not a matter of the wallet but of the heart.

6. The rich and the poor are more alike than not.

But you’re reading this blog and you need advice. What are you going to do about your money problem right now?

Here are some suggestions:

1. Take personal responsibility for your part in it! Anger with God is always wrong. God didn’t put you in the mess you’re in. But He will provide a way to get you out. Get the matter right with Him.

2. Get help. The resources are plentiful. Crown ministries is my personal favorite. Ask your pastor for resources. Didn’t someone say the journey of a thousand miles begins one step at a time?

3. Keep perspective. Life is more than the sum of your portfolio or your bank account. Heaven is coming. Serve God. That’s what matters most.

4. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of us is personally responsible for the decisions we make and how we respond to our difficult circumstances.

5. Be thankful. Things could be worse. We still live in the richest country in the world. We have more than we deserve.

6. Be encouraged. You are not alone in this. I believe no human is exempt from worrying about money.

It all goes back to your heart. Is your heart focused on your wallet, or is it focused on the Lord God?

Don’t interpret life by the light of your circumstances. Don’t judge God by the depth of the trial you are going through. I have added a section about finances under the news item ‘words to live by”. Take time to review some of the Scriptures regarding money. Meanwhile, Exodus 2:24-25 was so encouraging to me this weekend and I’ll end with it.

“And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel (or insert your name here if you are a child of God) – and God knew.”

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