Category: You & Money

#36 Want Enduring Prosperity?

July 2, 2017

“With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.”   Proverbs 8:18

Unsplash prosperity brooke-lark-200721If a true friend and confidant approached you with a guaranteed means of acquiring life-long success – I bet you would give him or her your undivided attention.

It’s human nature to flock to those appearing to be successful in something we desire. If you want to invest in a business these days, you tune into Shark Tank to hear what the Sharks have to say about what makes businesses investable.

Want to look good? Log on to social media to see who’s hacked their life, and find out how they did it. Want to be a winner in sports? Check out SportsCenter to hear the latest soundbites from today’s champions.

We read biographies, listen to podcasts, watch TED talks. By nature we are restless, always searching for some missing ingredient. However, most of the sources we investigate are fleeting and don’t, won’t or can’t satisfy us indefinitely. They are trending but not, well, enduring.

By nature we are restless, always searching for some missing ingredient.

But what about Life’s Owners Manual? Re-read the above quote. I think the most intriguing word there is “enduring”.

There are many stories of people acquiring fame and fortune one day, and then declaring bankruptcy a short time later. Becoming popular or finding treasure doesn’t mean you will know what to do with it.

Conversely the author of life (and it’s Owners Manual) claims to also have the remedy for life long satisfaction.

The “me” in the verse refers to Wisdom. The older I get, the more I realize that Wisdom is not only the key to obtaining real wealth, but keeping it. And great news – this verse comes from Proverbs, a whole book of God’s wisdom on money and relationships!

Real wealth is more than money. I like to remind people that they are here for a reason, and it’s not just grab a bunch of cash. The word riches is used – riches are not just assets, but blessings of all types, especially those that cannot be quantified, like love,  opportunities, hopes and dreams.

Notice that riches are paired with honor in our verse. It is not enough to just have a lot of money. The world has seen a lot of rich, dishonorable people. Only riches with honor and respect are worthy of your labor.

Have you handled money in a way that would make God, your parents, mentors, spouse and kids proud?

Hmmm…

If not, that’s okay. It’s never too late to learn from our mistakes. It is said that the quickest way to good judgement is to learn from bad judgement.

Your mistakes can become life lessons. Lessons learned with a humble heart lead us right to wisdom, the missing ingredient we all seek to obtain true, enduring success.

Another option is to simply ask for the guidance:

God, you gave me what I have.  Can you help me handle it?

 

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#34 Who or What Do You Serve?

February 15, 2017

“No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.*” Mark 6:24

Hate money to love God? I immediately asked: why does it have to be one or the other? I was in my late twenties at the time, and trying to figure out the husband/father/provider thing.unsplash-ybgpwfwlvke-elizabeth-lies

At face value, I thought the Church’s teaching was that money was evil, yet I spent all my waking (and working) hours trying to get more of it. Maybe that’s your perception also. Insert internal conflict here.

I put my hands up. Hard working providers, “Bread Winners”, should not feel forced to lead a “double-life” – church member on Sunday and capitalist on Monday.

Commerce is as much a part of our existence as the planet itself, so money dealings remain unavoidable. People working hard for their homes, families and futures shouldn’t be lumped in with the Scrooges of the world.

But does just needing money mean it’s your master?

So looking closer, I learned that we may not always put our money where our mouth is, but our money is always where are hearts are. And what’s in our heart is what makes up what kind of person we are. So this warrants investigation.

I also learned that the love of money is what get us off track. Money itself is just a means to an end.

There’s a world of difference between needing money and loving it.

So back to the scripture verse we started with, the key words I now see are “serve” and “masters”. Whose way, yours or God’s, will you subscribe to as you plow through the work week? This verse is really all about intent.

Intent does not have anything to do with amounts, whether you have a lot or a little. Your current balance is just that, current. You can serve a master with any amount.

There are four things we can do with money:

  1. save it
  2. spend it
  3. give it away
  4. covet it.

Only one of those four things is discouraged.

So be honest with yourself. Intent is the heart of the matter. And inside your heart, you don’t just find your true self, you find a meeting place that only you and God share.

So prove it to yourself – Today, look to give a little money away without any concern for repayment.

*Mammon: Riches, material wealth or the personification of money as a deity.

 

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#32 What Value Do You Place on Truth?

January 7, 2017

Jesus was talking to those who chose to follow him, and he laid out what is known as the conditions of discipleship. In doing so, he asked a really powerful question:

“What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?” Luke 9:25

We do not live on this earth forever. Money is only a means to an end. You are here for a reason – and it is not just to grab a bunch of cash.unsplash-dsehnmrevfa-jeremy-paige

What do you think your “reason” is? Why are you here?

You are not the product of something random. You were made on purpose. You were made for a purpose.

There is a recipe God is cooking up and your life is a part of it. In fact, you are an indispensable ingredient in that recipe. To remove you from it would permanently alter both the recipe and the result.

Do you have an idea what your reason or purpose is today? If not, have you asked God for some insight?

There is a recipe God is cooking up and your life is a part of it.

Too often, we romanticize the concept of “rugged individualism”. We pretend there are self-made men and women among us, and promote successful people in that way. We think that acquiring more stuff and doing everything our own way are the keys to success.

 

Some of us say one thing but do another. We know it’s better to give than receive, then we prioritize our “wants” above all else. We profess the love of neighbor outside of work, and then we enter the office and forget that all those distractions, and all those obstacles to our “wants”, are our neighbors.

Former pope, St. John Paul II once said, “there is no liberty without truth.” The truth is nobody climbs the mountain of success by themselves.

“There is no liberty without truth” – St. Pope John Paul II

This life is temporary; the next is permanent. Let that “truth” sink into your bones. How will it impact your decision making today? If you made a habit of reminding yourself of that fact, how would you treat others, handle interruptions, conduct yourself in meetings and respond to requests?

And because actions always speak louder than words, how would your actions answer the Lord’s question above?

Where we are headed in life is important, but so is where we are at today. You are here for a purpose and so is everyone else. The truth is, we are all part of the same recipe.

 

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