What do you make of money? Is it a friend? A master? What’s it all for?
Jesus made the comment that for someone who wants to serve God, it’s pretty hard serving money as well.
‘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.’ NIV Bible Luke 6:24
But what if we’re slaving away in 60 hour weeks just to cover costs for our families?
What do you think: is life really about money, or is there more to life than this?
The ideal for the christian is to trust God with and for your finances, paying to caeser (taxes and rates etc), and to God what is Gods. My thoughts on tithing is by paying tithes and offerings, we are saying it all belongs to Him anyway and in doing so we are being obedient in not serving two masters.
Hi, George! Agreed: it all belongs to him anyway!
First and foremost money is a medium of exchange. In this meaning it has no inherent worth at all since it is the products of exchange that hold importance.
But this has been corrupted. Now money itself (no more than the +potential+ for exchanging goods and services) is seen as a status symbol.
Paradoxically, people who live in an outwardly wealthy manner, ie those who actually utilise the potential of their wealth, are said to “have money” – when definitionally they do not since having spent it all (or most of it.)
Of course if you’re someone like Donald Trump, spending almost all your wealth still sees you ending up with heaps. 🙂
As to the philosophy of it. In moderation. Money, for some, and not only money, can play merry hell with their competitive natures and eat them alive.
Agreed: moderation is good, in terms of personal application, and after that it should be used for the welfare of those less well off.
Having insufficient causes great stress and when I see how costly the basics are I feel for those on low wages or benefits. I thought saving was to be encouraged then read an article recently that maintained everyone is better off when money is in circulation and that too much of the world’s money is not. In the West success seems to be measured by wealth or its trappings which seems wrong but I can’t imagine that changing.