We just received a *FREE* brown leather sectional couch that has a sofa sleeper and recliner. It's been years since I've had a new couch and my old sectional was no longer in the best shape. As my hubby put the old couch out in the garage, my mind started spinning with wonderful ideas. I can list our old couch on Craigs List and we can make some money off of it (it's in better shape than a lot of couches I've seen listed.) Along with the couch I have my kids old bunk beds I can also sell. As I started counting the dollars in my mind, trying to figure out the most money I could get for it, my hubby decided to rain on my parade. "Why do you want to sell everything? I think we should just give it away. We were blessed with a free couch, now we can bless someone else."
Gulp...ahummmm, "Well we don't have a lot of extra money and I figured it would help us get caught up," I quickly replied in my defense. He didn't say much else, but it continued to churn in my mind. I knew that it was the right thing to do. I mean, we'd been totally blessed with this awesome new couch, I now had the means in turn to bless someone else and what was my first natural human thought? MONEY!
How often do we think about money? Is there anything more important than money? If you look at your everyday life, how often are you thinking about money? (I don't have enough, I need more, how can I make more? Why do they have more? They got this and I didn't, I need to win the Lotto, etc...you know, just everyday thoughts.) We all know money is important, but how much importance are you giving it in relationship to your happiness? Do you know that with more money, comes a whole set of new problems (How do I keep my money? Who's trying to take my money? I need to make more money. Where should I invest my money? Am I managing my money right? The stocks are crashing, I'm losing my money! etc.) Do you get the picture? Life becomes an endless battle, pursuit and non-stop focus on MONEY. If we trust in ourselves and our human nature, the most important thing in this world is MONEY. When we live by this rule, we are in a perpetual state of stress, worry and uncertainty. We all need money but when money becomes the most important thing in your life, you are headed down a long, dark road to misery.
JESUS showed us the most important thing we can do is trust in Him and reach out to people; helping, sharing, caring and loving PEOPLE. The Lord is more than capable of supplying all your needs. Your needs do not necessarily mean an over abundance. Sometimes the Lord gives you "just enough." Just enough to be comfortable and then He will highlight people He wants you to share your "just enough," with. Sometimes it may seem like you don't even have "just enough" and yet He still asks you to share and give not only to bless others, but also to bless yourself. This strengthens your trust and faith in Him. Remember...everything you have is from Him.
As I cast aside my original idea and start searching for somewhere to donate my items, I find something strange happening. My focus is no longer on money, but on who will be blessed by this? A single mom? A woman trying to start over after fleeing an abusive relationship? A family who lost everything? Kids who have been sleeping on the floor? The list is endless. I start to get excited with the possibility of who I can help. I'm someone who has "just enough," and can be a blessing.
What's more important than money? JESUS CHRIST. LOVE. PEOPLE.
"Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless." Ecclesiastes 5:10
"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." Matthew 6:24
"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." 1 Timothy 6:10
"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
Lisa. Wow. This post taught me a lot. Especially giving with my just enough. Amen. God bless you as we close in on this weekend.
ReplyDeleteOh Lisa, this is meaningful. Thank you for sharing this ;)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, this is my story.
The first half of last year I had a huge problem with money(I became a victim in two frauds, lost quite amount of cash(two thousand plus)and had to borrow some money from people to stay alive), at the beginning, I was blaming the Creator for everything. All the time I was thinking about how to get money, how to stay alive I NEED MONEY!!... I was so messed up. And yeah, even before I had that fraud experience, to me MONEY was the most important thing in life and I can't live without money! I need money to buy all the things that I want! I was never satisfied with having just one thing at a time.
Come to think of it now, the experience I had after I became the victim of the fraud was an experience that taught me a lot of things. I became more humane, grateful for every cents, strict on every in and out of my account, and I got closer to the Creator during the battle of staying alive. I became stronger and tougher than before. Money is no longer the most important thing in my life, my relationship with the Creator, people and with myself are.
It's true, money is the root of all kinds of evil, people would kill for money. It's a sad sad full of evil world today. Even family would cheat for money! Sad, isn't it? I wish people would stop for a moment and think that money isn't the most important thing. Remember to always be grateful for the blessing given by the Creator and give back to honor the blessing. I will remember to do so. And I hope people will do too.
Just my two cents sharing. :) Anyway congratulations on the new couch haha