David Bush helps us better understand
our relationship with money
:tea:
In today's society we like to be politically correct. We want to say the right words in the right context so as not to offend anyone. I guess that's pretty civilized of us.
I may stray away from that just a little if you will allow me. You see most people nowadays like to use the term finance instead of money or the word wealth to describe rich. It doesn't sound as greedy that way. It sound more professional and gives a more professional tone to the subject at hand.
We live in a world of "get rich quick" charlatans that want you to invest in their "new" program that will make you rich overnight. Sometimes they will tone it down and say it may take a whole month! They want it to sound as professional and credible as possible.
Today I'm not really going to worry about that and I'm not going to dress it up much either. (Like I would even know how!). I could be writing an article on any number of subjects, like making the world's best fried peanut butter and banana sandwich (Elvis already mastered that one a long time ago) or I could be writing about today's political climate (which probably has already change twice since I started writing), but today let's just talk about plain old money. Your money.
Let's talk about the way we need to think of it, what we need to be doing with it and how we can use it correctly to get where we need to go. You can talk to a lot of different people about a lot of different things, but when you bring up the subject of money you never know how people will react. Especially when you are talking about their money.
If you attend church regularly as I do you may have notice this curious phenomena there as well. You can hear an "amen" when the preacher is preaching hard on almost any subject at all until . . .You guessed it! When the subject of giving comes up a lot of people feel uneasy. Why?
Feelings of insecurity
The answer lies in what our perception of security is. To most people money = security. We need money to feed our children and ourselves. We need money to provide shelter and clothing.
Have I told you something you didn't already know? Of course I haven't. I've heard it said that there is no security in this world, just opportunity. I think General Patton said it. It sounds like him anyway!
I personally believe that security lies in God. He can create the opportunities we need. We just have to be prepared to act when they show up! Financial security, excuse me; I mean having enough money, comes with making money and doing the right things with our money. Another way of saying this is we have to be a good "steward" of our resources. Money being one of the main resources we have. Being a good steward of our money simply means doing the right thing with our money. But what is "the right thing"?
Doing the Right Thing
To be able to do the right things with your money you first have to define in your own mind what the right thing is. Let's take the first step toward the answer to this question by understanding that money is really nothing more than a means to an end. It is a way to accomplish our goals and dreams.
The real question is not even what are your goals and dreams, but what is your motivation for your goals and dreams. For example, if your primary goal in life is to please God then giving Him your tithe and even an offering on top of that won't be an issue. However, spending your money at a bar or casino probably would be.
To be a good steward of your money you have to do things that line up with correct principles, then your actions aren't the result of shear willpower and discipline but are the result of internal motivation. Motivation is easier than discipline, because it comes from wanting to do something rather than having to do something.
Examine what your goals and dreams are and see if they are based on correct principles. If your not real sure what are the "correct" principles then I would suggest reading Matthew 22:37-39.
So how is this going to help you have more money? I can almost hear you asking that question. Having your priorities in order will help you make better decisions in all areas of your life. It helps because you quit relying on discipline and start relying on motivation to make wise decisions about were you spend your money.
If your not reaching your financial goals then you need to quit relying on discipline and examine your values so you will have the right kind and amount of motivation.
our relationship with money
:tea:
In today's society we like to be politically correct. We want to say the right words in the right context so as not to offend anyone. I guess that's pretty civilized of us.
I may stray away from that just a little if you will allow me. You see most people nowadays like to use the term finance instead of money or the word wealth to describe rich. It doesn't sound as greedy that way. It sound more professional and gives a more professional tone to the subject at hand.
We live in a world of "get rich quick" charlatans that want you to invest in their "new" program that will make you rich overnight. Sometimes they will tone it down and say it may take a whole month! They want it to sound as professional and credible as possible.
Today I'm not really going to worry about that and I'm not going to dress it up much either. (Like I would even know how!). I could be writing an article on any number of subjects, like making the world's best fried peanut butter and banana sandwich (Elvis already mastered that one a long time ago) or I could be writing about today's political climate (which probably has already change twice since I started writing), but today let's just talk about plain old money. Your money.
Let's talk about the way we need to think of it, what we need to be doing with it and how we can use it correctly to get where we need to go. You can talk to a lot of different people about a lot of different things, but when you bring up the subject of money you never know how people will react. Especially when you are talking about their money.
If you attend church regularly as I do you may have notice this curious phenomena there as well. You can hear an "amen" when the preacher is preaching hard on almost any subject at all until . . .You guessed it! When the subject of giving comes up a lot of people feel uneasy. Why?
Feelings of insecurity
The answer lies in what our perception of security is. To most people money = security. We need money to feed our children and ourselves. We need money to provide shelter and clothing.
Have I told you something you didn't already know? Of course I haven't. I've heard it said that there is no security in this world, just opportunity. I think General Patton said it. It sounds like him anyway!
I personally believe that security lies in God. He can create the opportunities we need. We just have to be prepared to act when they show up! Financial security, excuse me; I mean having enough money, comes with making money and doing the right things with our money. Another way of saying this is we have to be a good "steward" of our resources. Money being one of the main resources we have. Being a good steward of our money simply means doing the right thing with our money. But what is "the right thing"?
Doing the Right Thing
To be able to do the right things with your money you first have to define in your own mind what the right thing is. Let's take the first step toward the answer to this question by understanding that money is really nothing more than a means to an end. It is a way to accomplish our goals and dreams.
The real question is not even what are your goals and dreams, but what is your motivation for your goals and dreams. For example, if your primary goal in life is to please God then giving Him your tithe and even an offering on top of that won't be an issue. However, spending your money at a bar or casino probably would be.
To be a good steward of your money you have to do things that line up with correct principles, then your actions aren't the result of shear willpower and discipline but are the result of internal motivation. Motivation is easier than discipline, because it comes from wanting to do something rather than having to do something.
Examine what your goals and dreams are and see if they are based on correct principles. If your not real sure what are the "correct" principles then I would suggest reading Matthew 22:37-39.
So how is this going to help you have more money? I can almost hear you asking that question. Having your priorities in order will help you make better decisions in all areas of your life. It helps because you quit relying on discipline and start relying on motivation to make wise decisions about were you spend your money.
If your not reaching your financial goals then you need to quit relying on discipline and examine your values so you will have the right kind and amount of motivation.