It’s not what you make, it’s what you keep. We’ve all heard that from one business owner or another, but what does that look like as a Christian? Money and stewardship are not a one size fits all but there is a foundation I believe God wants us to establish when it comes to the money we are entrusted with. As business owners, money is typically the standard by how we measure our performance, how we are doing, and a lot of times how stressful our life is. When there is abundance, problems seem to be small. When there is a lack, small problems seem like mountains.
This is not one of those “holier than thou” articles. I am by no means the authority on all things money but this is just me sharing some truths I have learned about money along the way. Money is not the currency God uses to measure. His currency weighs much heavier than any amount of Gold we could ever accumulate. God looks at our actions and the way we live . One day this is the standard by which we will be judged. It was never about how successful we could be here on Earth, it was always about how close we can be to him while here.
Two people in the bible stand out to me here, Enoch and Elijah. Both of them were called to heaven without having to experience physical death. But why them? Surely there were others who might have been deserving as well. I may never fully understand this mystery in this lifetime but their lives are very interesting. I believe that Enoch and Elijah walked so close to God that this was the reason God called them up. It wasn’t how great they could make themselves here or the power and influence they had. If that was the case Elijahs’ protege Elisha would have been called as well because he received a double portion of God’s spirit and performed many miracles with God’s help.
What does any of this have to do with money? Money will come and go. We can spend a lifetime chiseling away at that mountain just to watch it all slip through our fingers. Money is great but when we replace God from the throne of our hearts for money we are in deep trouble. I have watched God multiply with ease and I have fought hard to keep what I thought was mine as it slipped away. I praise God that he is a good father who knows what’s best for me. Through the struggles I have learned to trust him even more.
At the end of the day money is just another thing in this world. All that we have is from God and all that we have belongs to God. When you live your life this way you begin to understand how little those things even matter. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to money but I do believe it is the foundation for understanding.
