looking at life money -...
TRANSCRIPT
Many people, making even the smallest of donations, enable Our Daily Bread Ministries to reach others with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible. We are not funded or endowed by any group or denomination.
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L O O K I N G A T L I F E
Why Is It Never Enough?
Money
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“Just One More Dollar”one of the richest men in modern history, American multi-billionaire John D. Rockefeller, was once asked, “Howmuch money is enough?” He is famouslyreported to have replied, “Just one moredollar.”
How true! How many of us wouldn’t love to have “one more dollar”? Doesn’t it seem like we never have enough, no matter how much we earn or save? There always seem to be more bills to pay, more things we need to buy, and more things that we need to save up for. Even if we have enough for the basic necessities like food, transport, and shelter, we still need to set money aside for the future—our children’s education, medical emergencies, and retirement.
And so we struggle to earn and save more. We put in more hours at work to rack up overtime pay, keep our shops open longer, or take on another
MoneyWhy Is It Never Enough?
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part-time job. We try to maximise our investments on the stock market, or cut our spending to balance the budget. Why do we do all this? Because we have many needs to meet. We need to feed ourselves and our families, make sure we have a roof over our heads, and take care of our parents. We also need to ensure we have spare cash on hand, in case someone falls ill or we lose our jobs. Basically, we need to survive, and we also need some financial security. We also have our wants—a natural desire to enjoy the fruit of our hard work. Whether it’s to be found in a family holiday, the occasional fancy meal, or our favourite hobby, we all want to have some satisfaction and fulfilment in life. And we have aspirations. We seek to build a better future for ourselves and our children. We might want a bigger car and a larger home, or have dreams to set up our own business. We also try to give our kids the best education for a good head start in life, so that they too can have a happy, secure future. Unfortunately, as many of us have experienced, all these needs and wants can place a lot of stress on us. The long hours at work tire us out, the bills are
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a source of constant worry, and the depleting bank account is an ever-present reminder that despite all our effort, it’s never quite enough. Sometimes, this burden can spill over into other parts of our lives, affecting our behaviour, values, and relationships with others. We find ourselves spending less time with our children and more time quarrelling with family members over spending habits. We compete furiously with fellow workers for rewards and job promotions. We seek fulfilment, but we end up with worries. Have you ever wondered why we never have enough? Why is it that no matter what we do, we always need “just one more dollar”? Is more money the solution to our needs?
We seek fulfilment, but we end up with worries.
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Money Makes the World Go Round . . . Or Does It?let’s be realistic: money does solve a lot of problems, and it can buy happiness—some, at least. Money buys us food, shelter, transport, and medicine. It pays for holidays and luxuries, and can give us a sense of security—if we have some savings set aside, they can tide us over when something untoward happens, such as an illness or crisis. It pays for our children’s education, which will hopefully mean a better future for them. But there is a limit to what money can do. There are some needs that money cannot meet, and some wants it cannot fulfil. It cannot truly heal a wounded heart or mend a broken relationship. It cannot buy real companionship or love. It cannot bring a loved one back from death. We can give our children the best education and toys but still not be close to them. We can acquire all the material luxuries we want, but still feel lonely and purposeless in life. Money can bring short-term thrills and happiness, but not long-term joy and contentment. Rockefeller himself was well aware that money could not really buy
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happiness. The man who was worth the equivalent of hundreds of billions of dollars today once said, “It is wrong to assume that men of immense wealth are always happy.” A palliative nurse in Australia who spent many years taking care of dying patients once documented the top five regrets that people talked about on their deathbeds. None of them involved earning more money. In fact, one of the top regrets was, “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard!” Most people wished they had spent more time with their loved ones and friends, or tried to lead happier lives. And how often do you hear about someone asking to see his bank balance before he dies? More likely than not, a dying man will wish to have his loved ones by his bedside—to hug or touch his favourite child or grandchild one last time—or to make amends with an estranged relative. When we strip away everything in life except life itself, what’s left is not money or possessions, but intangible things such as relationships and significance. Ultimately, money is no more than a means to an end. It can help us acquire many things, but not everything. It cannot
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meet all our needs, wants, and aspirations. So what can we do? If money isn’t the answer to all of our problems, how then can we meet all our needs and wants? And how can we avoid getting caught up in the relentless pursuit of money?
Looking Beyond Moneysome people try to be content with what they have. They believe that if they can learn to lead a simple life, appreciate what they already have, and make do with fewer needs and wants, then they can avoid getting caught up in the unending quest for more money. This approach has its merits—but also its limits. First, we could end up neglecting real needs and responsibilities, which could have serious consequences. We cannot, for example, ignore our children’s needs for food, shelter, and education. And if we don’t work hard enough, we may not live up to our full potential. Second, we may be simply denying ourselves natural human wants and aspirations. Sooner or later, these will become hard to ignore, and we may again feel dissatisfied and unfulfilled. True contentment cannot be found in merely trying to think positively, or in being fatalistic.
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Perhaps there is another answer. Instead of depending on money as the solution to all our needs, or denying it completely, how about looking to someone who can give us true security and contentment? Picture a child who is deeply loved by his parents, who are always looking out for him. This child may not have much; he may not be rich, and may not have everything he wants. But he can still feel happy and fulfilled if he has the full assurance that his parents treasure him and will never abandon him. Now, imagine someone who can give us a love even greater than a parent’s love. Who can love us without exception, is eternal and constant, is in control of everything, and has our best interests at heart? Consider the Creator God. This God is an all-powerful, all-knowing, immortal being who knows us and loves us. Because He created us, He knows exactly what we need.
True contentment cannot be found in merely trying to think positively, or in being fatalistic.
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Because He loves us, He has our best interests at heart, and will provide us with everything that is good for us. And because He is powerful and eternal, He can give us the assurance that He is in control of our situations, lives, and destinies. How do we know this? God has said so himself. He has promised us: “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you” (Hebrews 13:5).
Getting a Different Perspective of Lifewe’ve seen how money is only a means to an end. Unfortunately, many of us have become too focused on the means rather than the end. We worry so much about accumulating more money, that we become unhappy in the process. In chasing that “one more dollar”, we forget what really matters in life. However, if we were to turn to God—like the child who looks to his parents—our perspective of life may start to change. Because He promises us an eternal future with Him, we may begin to see beyond the needs and wants of this life, and not worry constantly about trying to meet them. Just like the child whose security and contentment comes
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simply from being loved by his parents, we too can find ours in God. Such a perspective sustained Paul, a believer in God, even when he was incarcerated in a Roman prison 2,000 years ago. In a letter to fellow believers, he wrote: “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13).
What Next?what are we to make of money, then? If we are able to see beyond our needs and wants when we believe and turn to God, what attitude are we to take towards money? Well, turning to God doesn’t mean we stop being realistic. Money has a very real and useful role in modern life, and there is nothing wrong with working hard and saving wisely. Our challenge is to recognise the limitations of what money can do. If we rely on money alone to control our lives and destinies, we are more likely to get caught up in the race to accumulate more and more—and
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become unhappy as a result. If we anchor our lives to God instead of money, we will get a new perspective of life and of our financial situations. We will know that God is in full control, that He loves and cares for us, and that He will provide us with the strength to face life’s challenges. Remember Rockefeller? The man who had earned so much money in life knew where to find true contentment. He said, “There is nothing in this world that can compare with the Christian fellowship; nothing that can satisfy but Christ.” Is this what you have been looking for? If you want to find out more about God, one way is to make contact with a local church, where someone can help you address any questions you might have. We at Our Daily Bread Ministries would also like to help. Simply use the attached form to request for related reading materials.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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Many people, making even the smallest of donations, enable Our Daily Bread Ministries to reach others with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible. We are not funded or endowed by any group or denomination.
ourdailybread.org
L O O K I N G A T L I F E
Why Is It Never Enough?
Money