Something's Missing...

Money.

Everybody wants it, but no one wants to talk about it. It’s powerful enough to control the minds and hearts of individuals, and bring marriages to ruin. It’s the one thing that most people do not want to be told what to do with, and the one thing that God tells us to test Him on (Malachi 3:10). 

So, why is money such a touchy subject for people? It seems like we would rather be told how we should be treating and raising our own kids than told how we should be treating our money. Why is that? 

Money is one of the most talked about things in all of scripture. It is obvious that God cares about how we handle our money and that He has things to say about it. If He didn’t care about it, I don’t believe that it would be the one thing that He tells us to test Him in. 

In the world that we live in, money is power. The more money you have, the more things and people that you control. It is a very dangerous thing, money. It can lead you down paths that you were never meant to discover and your desire for it can make you do things that you never thought you would ever do. I might even go as far as to say that money is possibly the greatest threat to our faith. It’s no wonder that God has a lot to say to us about money. 

Here is what I think...and keep in mind that this is just my opinion…

I believe in the God-sized hole theory. I believe that as humans, we are born with something missing, a hole within us that is longing to be filled. The older we get, the more aware of the hole we become. Throughout our lives, we try and try to fill this hole with all sorts of things, but nothing fits because the hole is cut accurately to certain specifications. The longer we go without discovering the One that fits in that space, the more desperate we become to fill the void that begins to take over our lives. Money is the tool that we use to try and find things to fill the hole within us until we have that head-on collision with Jesus that finally transforms our lives. 

We buy into the “if only” lies. “If I could only afford a bigger house, I would finally be happy and fulfilled.” “If only I could take that vacation, I would finally be happy and fulfilled.” “If only I made this much more money, I could finally give back to God, and then I would feel happy and fulfilled.” We struggle to see the “if only” for what it really is. We see it as absolute truth; when in reality, it is an absolute lie.

Paul tells us exactly what we need to feel content in life in Philippians 4:11-13. Spoiler alert...it’s not money, and it’s not something that you could ever buy with money. 

God is the One and only thing that will ever fill that hole within us. He is the only thing that will ever fit. He is the only thing that can make us feel happy and fulfilled. He is the only thing that can make that ache and desperate longing within us dissipate. He is the only thing that can finally make us feel content and whole again. 

I am not saying that money is not important in our lives. Scripture is very clear about the importance of money and how we should view and treat the money that we are entrusted with. What I am saying is that money is not the most important or most powerful thing in our lives, nor should it be treated as such. We have to be cognisant that we are not putting money above our relationship with God. Money should never become an idol in our lives, but it is one of the easiest things to idolize without even realizing that we are doing it. 

Here’s the thing, no one makes it out of here alive, and really and truly, the only things that you can leave behind are memories. Money fades away. The material possessions that money buys move on and wither away as well. Your legacy is ultimately all that is left. Memories of how you lived and how you loved are all that will remain when you are gone. 

So, what are you doing? Are you solely focused on money and how you can get more of it? How are you loving? Are you loving money more than you are loving your family and God? What is most important to you? Is it money? Does money control your actions and decisions? What kind of legacy are you building to leave behind? When you are gone, will your family and friends believe that money is the most important thing in life based on how you lived yours? Is that really what you want?