Money and Investing with the Kwak BrothersParaugs

Money & Kingdom Mindset
 

I remember one day reading a story about a son who decided for some reason to leave his family, take his father's inheritance, and run away from home.

Having a brother of my own, I was immediately sucked in to hear how this story would play out. I was disappointed, however, to see that this son started to squander all that he had. It eventually came to a screeching halt when his money ran dry. 

The son, finding himself in his darkest moment, decided to return to his father's home—not as a son, but as a servant, that he might at least have some food to eat.

Now, of course, we all know how this story ends. The father embraces him, welcomes him back, and even goes as far as to throw a party for his returned son. And the older son, who had been out working in the fields, comes home and finds himself extremely upset. 

Throughout my life, I have heard many pastors use this story to preach on how amazing God’s grace is and how God forgives us of all things. I have also seen many pastors use this story to preach on the beauty of coming to Christ and surrendering all to him. And while both of those things are ever so true and beautiful, I have to be honest and tell you that I had a quite different reaction after reading this story. 

My observation was that both sons could not have cared any less about the relationship they had with their father. As a matter of fact, if we pay attention to what drives them, we see that it is all about what the father had, and not who he was.

If we truly desire to have a kingdom mindset with finances, we must not have eternal views of earthly things and earthly views of eternal things. The amazing reality is that we are foreigners here, and we must approach this thinking with the topic of money. 

As a real estate investment advisor to many individuals, one of the top pieces of advice I offer is to make financial decisions that make more sense 10, 20, or 30 years from now. But as you start day 1 of this devotional series, I encourage you to be led by the Holy Spirit in making financial choices that align with eternity.