Always Wanting MoreChikamu

Not Enough Money

I have a friend who had his ups and downs in the financial department. The last I heard from him, he was on the ups! He had a very successful business in the oil industry and was making money hand over fist.

At some point, we had a conversation about his net worth. He said he was sitting at around $15 million.

I was duly impressed. That was a long way to come after being in dire straits at one point in his career. You’d think he’d be happy about that, but I was surprised to learn that he wasn’t. Instead, His attention focused on an acquaintance worth $30 million.

John D. Rockefeller, the first billionaire in the United States and at one point the richest man on Earth, was asked by a reporter, “How much money is enough?”

He calmly replied, “Just a little bit more.”

No matter how much money we have, we can fall into this trap of wanting just a little bit more. Solomon says that whoever loves money never has enough of it (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

The truth is that we need money. We’ve got bills to pay and families to support. Money isn’t the problem. It is the love of money that gets us into so much trouble and dissatisfaction (1 Timothy 6:10).

So, how can we be content in this area?

I believe it comes down to giving. When we give our money to the poor, or to the church, or to some vital cause, it fights against our craving for more.

Scripture says, “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Why?

It’s not because He is short on cash. No, rather, it is because He knows that we will experience true satisfaction when we give cheerfully.

God wants us to be free from the constant yearning for more money. He will provide all that we need (Matthew 6:31-33).

You can trust Him!

Prayer: Lord God, give me this day my daily bread. Help me to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness and then trust that all the other things that I need will be provided for. You have given me so much already. Thank You for the job that I have and for the income that I am able to generate. Help me be generous and share what I have with others, just like You have shared Yourself with me. I will trust that You will see me through. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Reflection: Are you a generous giver? Have you been able to give a tithe of your income regularly? Where are you sharing your resources with those in need around you?