It held the promise of dreams coming true, the allure of a power that could change my world; with enough of those crackling green notes I could have everything I'd ever wanted. But the happiness it promises is an empty lie.
Ecclesiastes 5 verse 10 (NIV) - Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.
To see that money is empty all I have to do is take a quick look at the world around me. Look at the countless celebrities who have reached the top - they have the fame, the fast cars and all the money this world can give, yet so many suffer from depression and anxiety. A quick Google search reveals countless stars that have ruined their lives by turning to drugs and alcohol, some even sadly taking their own life.
Yes, money can increase living standards, but it isn't fulfilling and cannot create happiness or peace of mind. Money can purchase a bed, but I cannot buy sleep.
Whose money is it?
I have been finding that the Bible contains some revolutionary concepts when it comes to the way I should look at my money. Firstly, all the money I have is not mine at all, but Gods. I am just a steward of the resources God has entrusted to me.
Psalm 24 verse 1 (NIV) - The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
Haggai 2 verse 8 (NIV) - 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty.
Consider the words of Jesus in this verse:
Luke 3 verse 11 (NIV) - The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.
If God has blessed me so that I have two 'tunics' whom am I to withhold from the man who has none? From a human perspective I could argue that the works of my own hands have given me the abundance that I have, and that it is mine to 'live up'. The reality however is apart from the grace of God I am nothing, and would have nothing. God chooses who he will raise up and who he will cast down.
Psalm 75 verse 7 (NIV) - It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.
On a practical level this means I should consider all that I have as been entrusted to me by God, and instead of holding onto things tightly as mine I should seek to be a good steward of the blessings God has given me, blessing others in return.
The Reason to Give
But why should I be generous with my finances? I believe the reason is that God is a generous God, and I am to imitate him with the way I live my life.
Ephesians 5 verse 1 (NASB) - Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
Every part of my life is impacted by this; in all that I do I should be seeking to emulate and honour God with the way I go about it. The way I talk, the things I do, both privately and publicly, and the way I order my finances, all need to be based off the image of God found in his word.
1 Corinthians 4 verse 7 (NIV) - What do you have that you did not receive?
The reason I give then, is because what do I have that was not given to me in the first place? Deeper still, the one who has given me all that I have, has been supremely generous, to the point of giving His only son to die in my place. That is a generosity I will spend a lifetime learning to imitate.
Thomas Devenish lives in Hobart, Tasmania. One of nine children, He works as a motion graphics editor and enjoys photography and the creative arts.
Thomas Devenish's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/thomas-devenish.html