Burnin' a hole
Someone get a fire extinguisher!
There's something burning in my wallet!
Oh. Wait. Nah, it's just those crisp $20 bills I just got for babysitting.
Did you ever hear the phrase, "That money is burning a hole in your wallet!"?
I can recall back to my teen years when, I had just finished babysitting and the mom handed me the cash. I remember that feeling when it sat in between my fingers right before I put it in my back pocket. My mind raced with all the things I could buy and all the events I could go to now.
How could I spend this money???
Things got a little tricky when I turned 18. Do you know what happens when you turn 18? All the credit card companies know. And they lure you in. They especially hunt down young girls who like to spend money. That babysitting money? Yeah, it usually didn't last longer than a few days because I went and bought make-up, tapes (yes, I realize I'm dating myself there), carnival tickets, movie tickets, shoes, scrunchies and the list goes on.
Right after turning 18, I fell victim to the credit card world. I ran to the nearest department store, filled out the application and, they gave me a temporary card right away. They said, "your real card will arrive in a few days but here, you can use this one today. Have fun shopping!"
OK!
Little did they know, or maybe they did, that this would inevitably ruin me when it comes to money.
The habits I placed at that age are ones that followed me years later. And it didn't lead to a happy place. In fact, it led me to some potentially destructive places. Places that would end up preventing me from having the means to cover required expenses. I was not making wise choices.
Interestingly enough, as I drew closer to God, my spending habits changed. My perspective changed. And the end goal wasn't to spend and acquire, it was to give and honor.
Did you know that God talks about money a lot in the Bible? A lot. More so than many other topics. Why is that? I think it's because He knew the importance money would be placed by us. Us humans who are easily distracted by what our neighbor has. Or what commercials are telling us we need. Our identity and money? Well, they can dangerously be intertwined.
Proverbs 17:16 says Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?
If someone read this to me 20 years ago and asked, "If you are this fool, raise your hand!" My hand would be raised.
Thank goodness for God and His grace and mercy. Thank goodness that He is already poised and ready to rescue and redeem when we, foolish as we are, turn to Him in obedience and surrender. As God gladly drew me near, He also held a mirror to my face. He answered my prayer, just like the one David prayed in Psalm 139:23 -- search me God and know my heart... By the way, be prepared to do your part when it comes to saying that to God. He showed me the areas of my heart that needed reconciling. Areas that I needed to change and submit to Him. Money was the toughest.
Since that shift in my perspective, I've found verses like the following:
Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
Yeouch. But such truth. Money was my master. I didn't want it to be my master. I wanted Jesus to fulfill that role as my Master and Savior.
1 Timothy 6:10 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.
Note that the verse doesn't say "money" is the root of all evil. It says "the love of money" is. That's a big difference. Money isn't the bad guy. It's us and how we place money... that's where the evil and bad comes from.
Money can be used for good. So much good! In fact, it's not even ours to begin with. God owns it and wants us to use to glorify Him and share about His glorious kingdom.
What an awesome way to utilize this gift He has given us!
So, why do I like sharing this as part of my story? Because I truly feel like it can relate to so many of us and it can be used to reach others. Money is a reality. Lack of and overflow. It brings up strong emotions on both sides of the fence. And, it is something that affects our choices in life. Choices that play out our faith in God.
Next week, I'm going to be sharing a couple of stories from the Bible about a rich man who was given a task by Jesus. And, we'll also hear about a story of a woman who found a couple of pennies. They are great examples of how to live out our faith when it comes to money. I hope you join me!
***
What About You?
Have you ever, or maybe you are currently, struggled with money? Did you also feel the heat in your wallet after that babysitting gig? Can you remember the moment when your perspective changed and God took over that part of your life? Feel free to come share on the Facebook page or reflect on your own. Let God take over this part of your story if you haven't already. Pray that He searches you, knows your heart.
There's something burning in my wallet!
Oh. Wait. Nah, it's just those crisp $20 bills I just got for babysitting.
Did you ever hear the phrase, "That money is burning a hole in your wallet!"?
I can recall back to my teen years when, I had just finished babysitting and the mom handed me the cash. I remember that feeling when it sat in between my fingers right before I put it in my back pocket. My mind raced with all the things I could buy and all the events I could go to now.
How could I spend this money???
Things got a little tricky when I turned 18. Do you know what happens when you turn 18? All the credit card companies know. And they lure you in. They especially hunt down young girls who like to spend money. That babysitting money? Yeah, it usually didn't last longer than a few days because I went and bought make-up, tapes (yes, I realize I'm dating myself there), carnival tickets, movie tickets, shoes, scrunchies and the list goes on.
Right after turning 18, I fell victim to the credit card world. I ran to the nearest department store, filled out the application and, they gave me a temporary card right away. They said, "your real card will arrive in a few days but here, you can use this one today. Have fun shopping!"
OK!
Little did they know, or maybe they did, that this would inevitably ruin me when it comes to money.
The habits I placed at that age are ones that followed me years later. And it didn't lead to a happy place. In fact, it led me to some potentially destructive places. Places that would end up preventing me from having the means to cover required expenses. I was not making wise choices.
Interestingly enough, as I drew closer to God, my spending habits changed. My perspective changed. And the end goal wasn't to spend and acquire, it was to give and honor.
Did you know that God talks about money a lot in the Bible? A lot. More so than many other topics. Why is that? I think it's because He knew the importance money would be placed by us. Us humans who are easily distracted by what our neighbor has. Or what commercials are telling us we need. Our identity and money? Well, they can dangerously be intertwined.
Proverbs 17:16 says Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?
If someone read this to me 20 years ago and asked, "If you are this fool, raise your hand!" My hand would be raised.
Thank goodness for God and His grace and mercy. Thank goodness that He is already poised and ready to rescue and redeem when we, foolish as we are, turn to Him in obedience and surrender. As God gladly drew me near, He also held a mirror to my face. He answered my prayer, just like the one David prayed in Psalm 139:23 -- search me God and know my heart... By the way, be prepared to do your part when it comes to saying that to God. He showed me the areas of my heart that needed reconciling. Areas that I needed to change and submit to Him. Money was the toughest.
Since that shift in my perspective, I've found verses like the following:
Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
Yeouch. But such truth. Money was my master. I didn't want it to be my master. I wanted Jesus to fulfill that role as my Master and Savior.
1 Timothy 6:10 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.
Note that the verse doesn't say "money" is the root of all evil. It says "the love of money" is. That's a big difference. Money isn't the bad guy. It's us and how we place money... that's where the evil and bad comes from.
Money can be used for good. So much good! In fact, it's not even ours to begin with. God owns it and wants us to use to glorify Him and share about His glorious kingdom.
What an awesome way to utilize this gift He has given us!
So, why do I like sharing this as part of my story? Because I truly feel like it can relate to so many of us and it can be used to reach others. Money is a reality. Lack of and overflow. It brings up strong emotions on both sides of the fence. And, it is something that affects our choices in life. Choices that play out our faith in God.
Next week, I'm going to be sharing a couple of stories from the Bible about a rich man who was given a task by Jesus. And, we'll also hear about a story of a woman who found a couple of pennies. They are great examples of how to live out our faith when it comes to money. I hope you join me!
***
What About You?
Have you ever, or maybe you are currently, struggled with money? Did you also feel the heat in your wallet after that babysitting gig? Can you remember the moment when your perspective changed and God took over that part of your life? Feel free to come share on the Facebook page or reflect on your own. Let God take over this part of your story if you haven't already. Pray that He searches you, knows your heart.
