by Michael McVey
This week I decided to continue my discussion with you about the most popular New Year’s resolutions. And following up with how most of us, when we begin these steps to self-improvement, are doomed at the start. Just a reminder, if you choose to embark upon self-improvement of ANY KIND you should probably ensure that the one who knows you the best is guiding you (I’ll give you a hint, it’s GOD).
The second most popular resolution, behind loosing weight or being healthier, is the desire to save up more money. This isn’t all that much of a surprise because we as human beings are not only obsessed with our self-image; we are also obsessed with money. What’s missing in this resolution is what the individual is saving up money for? It doesn’t say, “I want to save up more money for my family, or I want to save more money to give to charity.” No, it simply says saving more money.
The first thing, as a Pastor, that I can say about money is that it is a necessary commodity in all our lives. Money allows us to either do wonderful things, like care for others, provide payment for a job well done, support a church ministry, or take the family on vacation. But money also allows people to do horrific things, like buy drugs, promote addictive habits, lord their power over people, fund sex trafficking, or control the outcome in businesses, families, and churches.
The bible is often misquoted as saying money is the root of ALL evil. But this verse DOES NOT appear in scripture. The true readings are from 1st Timothy 6:10 and states, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” What this shockingly informs us is that money is an inanimate object, incapable of being neither good nor bad. It is human beings loving money more than God that allows evil to happen. That misguided love leads people away from the true happiness and purpose that is only found in Christ. Why we seek money is an important question to ponder, because we could be seeking it for the wrong reasons. So, to solve this issue we must first answer the question, what are we saving money up for?
The answer to this question should ALWAYS be, I am saving up my money to glorify God. If it is merely to the glory of one’s own selfish interests, then it is meaningless and empty. Scottish theologian and author George MacDonald wrote the following, “Money is powerful for good if divinely used. Give it plenty of air and it is sweet as the hawthorn; shut it up and it cankers and breeds worms.”
If our goal is to merely gain in wealth that we might reach some personal satisfaction, then we will forever be chasing a ghost. True meaning and purpose come from being a child of God tasked with the awesome ministry of a follower of Christ. Money becomes a tool, not an object.
Remember, if anything takes the place of God within your life through possessiveness or selfishness, there is a word for that in the bible. That word is idolatry.
Save and spend to the Glory of Christ Jesus, all other ways are meaningless.
Blessings my friends,
Pastor Mike McVey
First United Methodist Church, Fairfield
ACS Chaplain – U.S. Coast Guard Base Galveston
(P.S. If you would like contact or receive Pastor Mike’s weekly newsletter simply email him at pastormike@fumcfairfield.org)
