20180528- The Love of $

1 Tim 6 :10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through many sorrows"

A Birkin bag that cost more than USD28,000 - a collector's investment bag! Something that I only learnt recently over the 1MDB scandal! Just a bag!

This guru Guar Gopal Das once said : It is amazing how $ is known as so many ways!

• It is called DONATION when given to charity
• A TITHE/ OFFERING when given to a church
• A FEE when one pays to a school
• A DOWRY in a marriage
• A ALIMONY in a divorce
• A DEBT when owed to someone
• A TAX when paid to the government
• A FINE when crosses the law
• A PENSION when one receives after retirement
• A SALARY/ WAGE from an employer for work done
• An ALLOWANCE for a child from the parents
• A LOAN when taken from a bank
• A RANSOM when paying to kidnappers
• A BRIBE in exchange of special favours

There is nothing wrong with money itself.  Money itself is NEVER the root of all evils.  Money is the currency of exchange of goods and services.  Barter trade had evolved through the use of currency.  However, it is the LOVE of money that is the root of all evils.

The question we asked ourselves is this "Do we possess money or does the money possesses us?"

Do we covet after them?

Or do we learn to be content once we have food and clothing?

What is the value of money to the following:-

• A new born baby ? It means nothing to the crying babe
• A 2 year old toddler ? It perhaps may seem like a scape piece of paper
• A teenager ? It begins to provide some revelation of its use
• A working adult ? The realisation of its usefulness for the material pursuit of life
• A past 50 year old? The sudden calculation of its long term value and retirement planning of funds
• A sick person ? The importance of it to fund medical needs but not a guarantee of good health in return
• A nonagenarian (past 80,90s)? A sudden awakening on the fact that we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out (1 Tim 6:7)

So like what Shakespeare once wrote " The world is a stage ..." From the babe to the aged, the meaning of value of money comes a full circle.  Nothingness.

Reflections

In fact there are many things in life that money cannot or may not buy.

• It cannot buy good health. But may only perhaps sustain or prolong life for a while.  Better medical treatment and the ability to buy better food and vitamins!

• It cannot buy us the Holy Spirit. (Rem the story of Simon in Acts 8:19 where he offered the disciples money for the exchange of the power of the Holy Spirit in the laying of hands)

• It cannot buy us the eternal life (The Rich young man parable in Mat19:16-22.  Selling away the great possessions of his wealthy life to give to the poor was too much to swallow for the rich young man)

• Finally , money may not necessary buy happiness.Some people give much to charity or to the poor, but yet do it with a grudging heart. Some did it out of guilt, not out of love.

Happiness and joy have subtle differences in meaning.

Happiness is external dependent - which can be fulfilled by money possessions

But - Joy is an internal expression - never dependent on the money sufficiency.

So at the end of the day, our joy comes from knowing in the person of Jesus Christ.  He is all sufficient one.  He is the owner of all that we have.  The debate of so called offering or tithing the so called 10% is not the issue when we understand who we are and what we have on this earth.  We are merely stewards of Him. It is not about the percentage we give, but rather whether we give with a cheerful or grudging heart.  

The principle of giving - is universal.  The Lord simply does not want us to be covetous in our money management.  Freely received - freely give. Being selfish vs being generous. Being good or bad stewards of His endowment. 

Never let the money possess us.  Greed - Coveting.  It is a pitfall than we should avoid falling into!  Err not. Be sorrowful not! Rem 1 Tim 6:10

Finally, godliness with contentment is great gain. KNOW HIM? or NO HIM?

Short Egyptian 1 min film that won an award at Luxor Film Festival .  The film maker is only 20 years old.  Greed can swallow us it the theme.