By the time you read this the new £5 note will have found it’s way into your wallet or purse. It’s the first polymer (plastic) currency ever issued by the bank of England. You can even dunk it in your tea (if you feel the need to!?)
It’s impossible to turn on the news without hearing about the economy or money. What may surprise you is that Jesus talked about money rather a lot too. That’s because we associate money with security, happiness and well being, three things that Jesus and the Kingdom of God are particularly concerned with.
In a recent Sunday morning message on the theme of ‘Happiness’ we discovered that most of us associate money and happiness with the word ‘MORE’. But if your goal is to find happiness, no amount of money will ever be enough. Money can contribute to your happiness, but it’s not dependent on how much money you have; it’s more about how you MANAGE it.
Anything that undermines your peace, like the mismanagement of money, is guaranteed to undermine your happiness. Debt is a great example of this. Debt tends to make people anxious and they soon discover that their finances are starting to run their lives and dictate their decisions. You end up “enslaved to money” according to Jesus in Luke 16:13.
But your money can contribute to your happiness if you manage it God’s way. Here’s the biblical advice in three simple words:
GIVE
SAVE
LIVE
GIVE FIRST. Decide on amounts and beneficiaries and make them your first priority each payday (2 Cor. 9:7). It should be the first thing to leave your account. Giving produces joy.
SAVE SECOND. The next amount to leave your account is something put by for the future or for unexpected circumstances. Saving produces peace.
LIVE THIRD. Whatever is left is what you live on that month. This produces freedom.
Unfortunately, most people do it entirely the other way around. They LIVE first, and as a result, never have enough to save or give. You can listen to the whole message (“If I were a Rich Man”) and other messages in the “Pursuit of Happiness” series on our web site.
Money does contribute to happiness if you manage it well. Enjoy using those new £5 notes, but my prayer is that you will have the courage to use them God’s way. You’ll be happy that you did.
