The Surprising Truth About Money that Nobody Talks About

One of the most surprising truths I've discovered about money is how quickly having more of it can quickly become a false idol without extreme intentionality and dare-I-say DAILY reminders of where our provision truly comes from. 

Over the past couple weeks I've had several independent conversations leading to the same idea [I love when that happens don't you?]. 

My memory verse for June has been one of the powerhouse verses around money found in 1 Timothy 6 verses 17-19 which says (emphasis mine): "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." [NIV]. 

Oh how easy it is to put our hope in wealth today. And it makes sense —money holds incredible power in this life. Money can represent power, freedom, status, flexibility, and more. This is why Jesus warns us "you cannot [a statement of fact] serve both God and money". 

My grandfather [a non-Believer] used to always say "when I was a kid in the dime store, I used to think money was everything. Now that I'm old and wise, I know that it is". In other words...wealth owned his heart, so God couldn't.  

In a recent conversation, a man told me about how after he had inherited a large sum of money he began investing for the first time, and the short-term volatility of the his underlying investments were destroying him. He'd begin calculating on a daily and weekly basis the dollar-amount he had lost, and frantically searching the internet for market-timing strategies in the hopes of not having to stomach these short-term blows to his recently-acquired nest egg. And while God does call us to steward ("manage") what He entrusts to us (which includes money) he openly admits that he let his hope lie in something that wasn't God — which ironically is the exact definition of idolatry. What was once overwhelming gratitude for God's provision became bitterness and anxiety-ridden sleepless nights. He was baffled to discover that wealth actually exposed his insecurity rather than ridding him of his insecurity. 

Your flesh, the enemy, and the world will convince you that more money will result in greater peace, more happiness, less anxiety, and less to worry about — but without FIRST placing our hope, security, and trust in God, "who riches provides us with everything", you might be surprised to find out that more money

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