Be honest, when you heard we were starting out the year talking about money, were you apprehensive? Did you sigh inwardly? Did you take a moment to wonder whether or not you should even come to church for the next few weeks? Money is one of those things we don’t LIKE to talk about, but it’s one of the most important things we SHOULD talk about – because Jesus sure spent a lot of time doing just that. You’ve probably heard something like “Jesus talked more about money than anything else” or “11 of Jesus’ parables were about money” or “16 of Jesus’ parables were about money or possessions.” Those have all been said at some point, and there is a little truth in all of it. But, Jesus didn’t talk about money because he wanted you to give more to the church. He talked about money because he knew it was where a lot of people have a stronghold. Currency defines our existence in so many ways – think about the last year – gas prices, energy prices, inflation, interest rates – if you could go more than a day without hearing about one of those things, I’d be impressed. Money is part of our lives.
And that’s just it, money is PART of our lives, it’s not all of our lives. And, how we use that money can have long-lasting consequences. I will freely admit that I didn’t really understand what I was getting into when I took out student loans at 18. At 43, I’m very glad I don’t have to think about them anymore. I’ve learned a lot about money since I got my first job, and I’m guessing you have, too. But, of all the lessons I’ve learned, the one that has stuck with me the most is this:
Money is just a tool. How we use the tool shapes who we are and what is important to us.
