Alright, Accountants of Assets,
Today, we’re trading in our clocks for coins as we audit the ‘what’ in “What is the True Value of Money?” (The ‘how’ of money, well, that’s an adventure for tomorrow). Remember when those chocolate gold coins felt like a mountain of wealth? Until, of course, you left them in the sun and your gold turned into a sticky, brown puddle. Yuck. Well, James invites us to see money through a similar cosmic lens:
1Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire…
James 5:1–3a (NIV)
Holding up the puddle of chocolate goo, James cries out, “Weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you” (James 5:1). Wow, sounds like Wall Street on a bad day! But hold off on checking your bank balance or rifling through your investment portfolio just yet. James is urging us to examine money from an eternal perspective: “Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded,” he tells us (James 5:2-3a). The point isn’t to make us feel bad about our latest promotion or the hole in our wallet. Instead, he’s underscoring that the very wealth we relied on has no enduring value. Tough pill to swallow, isn’t it? Especially when the world is screaming at us to amass wealth, upgrade our lifestyle, and invest for a comfortable retirement.
But hey, this isn’t some financial advice buried in the footnotes of a dusty parchment. Jesus Himself spoke about storing up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). He stressed that where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also. Money, like everything else in this world, is temporary. It’s as perishable as that milk you left on the kitchen counter; it spoils pretty quick. And just like that sour milk, we can’t take it with us when we leave this world. The Bible isn’t against wealth; it’s against wealth taking the driver’s seat in our lives (Matthew 6:24-26). In a nutshell, money in our hands? Thumbs up. Money in our hearts? Red flag. Greed is toxic to the soul.
It’s why Paul coaches us on exchanging earthly currency for heavenly gold in 1 Timothy 6:17-19. He encourages the well-off not to trust in their wealth but in the living God. They should use their wealth for good deeds and generous sharing, investing in a heavenly portfolio. It’s not that money is evil or that we should all take a vow of poverty. Rather, money might shine like a treasure, but it’s really just a tool. It’s a means to an end, not the end itself. And when we start looking at money through this eternal lens, our financial decisions begin to shift.
So, fellow Accountants of True Assets, have you discovered your cosmic lens for this grand audit of life? How does your understanding of money align with Biblical teachings, and how can the eternal perspective shape your financial decisions?
Money can be a slippery slope, it is definitely nice to have but like the text was saying, when it becomes an idol or one of the soul focuses of our lives it can be very bad. In terms of the perspective I take, I follow what the Bible teaches about tithing and being generous with what God has given me. I know that I am simply a steward of what God has given to me and just try to do the best that I can to be generous with that. Lately, I have been setting aside money to create a sort of benevolence fund for myself that I can use when I feel led by God or encounter a situation where I can help someone in need in an emergency situation.
As I was growing up I learned the hard way. I was taught i needed to do whatever I had to work hard to take care of my mom’s desire which was a very dark place for me. I’m so grateful that my perspective on things are a lot different now that I found peace and God, I have completely let go and put it in his hands and he has Blessed me in so many ways. I continue to pray that God guide me through this journey and trust he always has a plan for me. I pray that God walks me with clear eyes so that I can see the bigger picture to give as much as I am able to and save so I can take care of those I love. Amen
(from Hai)
James reminds us that money and possessions are temporal, not eternal.
What fascinates me about money is that we can use a temporal commodity ($) and leverage it for eternal gains!
When I support missionaries and para-church ministries like CRU, give to the church, it allows them to reach people with the eternity-changing message of the Gospel! This perspective on money causes me to want to give as much as I can towards that harvest of souls.
I feel like as I’m getting older, financial security is becoming a hot topic or something that I work/focus on a lot. We’re taught by society that money is the root of happiness and it can lead to more opportunities, I see it taking over my life and it has me very selfish. I’m reminded that the things on this earth, especially money, is temporary & it wont matter in the kingdom of heaven. I pray that I’m able to use my money and contribute to God’s kingdom. May my heart soften and see that money isn’t everything compared to the life we have with what Jesus gives us. Everything we have, we should be able to give thanks back.
How does my understanding of money align with Biblical teachings should be that my money is actually God’s money. It can be taken away from me easily and rather than using it for my own selfish desires, it should be used to ultimately glorify God’s kingdom. The eternal perspective that would be that the ultimate prize or reward would not be the worldly possessions that we call wealth but in heaven with God. So with that in mind, I should continue using my money to glorify God and help His people and community.