NO. 1144 -- A MOST IMPORTANT FINANCIAL QUESTION!
THE NEXT PASSWORD IS PEAR
No. 1144
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
A MOST IMPORTANT FINANCIAL QUESTION!
The English clergyman and author Thomas Fuller (1608-1661) once said, “Money is the best bait to fish for man with.” Even if you spent the next 100 years searching for a room large enough to hold all the books written about money and related topics, you could not find that room.
In our modern society, money is something we all desire and something we must have to function in our daily lives. The amount of money each of us needs, however, is determined by a wide variety of factors: the lifestyle we choose, where and how we live, government policy, inflation and individual responsibility, just to mention a few. The Bible says that “the love of money is the root of all evil.” Note that it does not say “money” but the “love” of money.
Herein lies the problem that millions of people face day after day in their personal lives. If you have a problem with money, either personally or in your home, I believe what I am going to share will be of interest and of benefit to you. It’s my belief that many problems caused by money are due, by and large, by the way money is perceived. First, what is money? Well, money is a form of wealth, but in actuality money is a medium of exchange. It’s what we use to exchange for goods and services we need and want. In addition to our personal physical needs, it’s a new home, a vacation, a college degree and financial security for our retirement years. We earn money by providing a product or service to other people. When we satisfy their needs and wants, they in turn pay us or reward us with their money.
Here is what I meant when I said that most money problems are caused by the way money is perceived. Money, whether it’s currency or coin, is a tangible object. You can see it and touch it. Money is really a “willing servant.” It’s what we use to serve us and that’s really all it is. When we permit it to become more than that, it becomes an emotional issue and emotion is not tangible. We can’t see and touch our emotions. It’s like the wind. The money that comes to us from one source or another is called income. The money we spend is called expenses and discretionary spending. Do your best to never fall into this trap: money is tangible and you can see it and touch it, you can receive it and you can spend it, but when your money becomes an emotional issue is when real problems begin.
As you may know, the reason many marriages fail is because of money problems, namely debt. If a husband and wife would handle money as a tangible object and know they could not spend more than they jointly earn and would keep money from becoming an emotional issue, then most of their problems could be averted. On a related note, credit cards and quicksand have a lot in common. They will both swallow us alive and most credit cards need to be cut in two and put in the trash. Again, if you have money problems, why not each partner just keep one for “emergency” situations and write a check or pay cash for the things you need and purchase.
If you would like to avoid serious money problems, here is the way to do it. The Bible says in Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need, according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.” Just ask yourself this question before each purchase, and especially major purchases, do I really need this product or service, or is it just something I desire or want that will lead to debt? This is a most important question and could make the difference in your financial security or being deep in debt. My best wishes, Jim.
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(Editor’s Note: THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY – Begin your day on a positive note – 365 days for $12. This will benefit the Bookcase for Every Child project. Go to www.apositivemomentwithjim.com to subscribe.)
THE NEXT PASSWORD IS PEAR
