The Value of Money
“What I am worth to the company?” We hear it all the time in the workplace. We are trained to believe that our value to the company is measured by our salary. The more value we ‘bring to the table’ the more we expect to be paid. Too bad money has no value in real life.
Sure, more money means we can purchase more ‘stuff’ for our ever-growing storage units. It has become so popular to gather more and more ‘stuff’, entire buildings have been dedicated to renting out storage units. As if, our four bedrooms and three-car garages can’t fit it all.
Money buys ‘stuff’ but adds no value to our life. Even at work, the value in human terms goes far beyond the bottom line. The relationships we create at work bring much more value to the workplace. Studies have shown that people value relationships over money in the workplace.
All this comes at no surprise if we have spent more than a week at any job. We also, by experience, know that no matter how much money we possess, our sense of value to others never seems to increase. So, what is the value of money? Let’s see what Saint Paul has to say.
Timothy, my son, charge the rich in this world not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches but on God who richly furnishes us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good deeds, liberal and generous, thus laying up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life which is life indeed. O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the godless chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge, for by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.
1st Timothy 6.17-20
According to Saint Paul, the value of money is in our ability to do good deeds for others. There is no value in storage units or piles of stuff. The longer we wait to embrace this reality, the longer we put off true joy. God will provide everything we need. The rest is for good deeds.
I think this is one aspect of ‘the Christmas season’ that we all need to rekindle. It is why we fast, so we can remind ourselves that life isn’t about pleasing ourselves. Life is about serving God and others, using the blessings (money and otherwise) that God provides to us.
Now that we are just two weeks away from Christmas, we have a chance to ‘reset’ our priorities. It has long been my ‘dream’ that we delay Christmas parties until AFTER Christmas. We need to give our hearts a chance to prepare for Christ by serving others, not partying it up.
You don’t have to ignore Christmas. You just have to keep it in its proper perspective. God was born to serve us and save us. If we call ourselves Christians, that means we were born to serve God and others, not ourselves. We were not born to gain wealth and fill storage units.
No matter how much money we earn or spend on ourselves, the only value money will bring to us, is when we use it to serve God and others. That would be the best Christmas gift you could ever invest in, but you won’t find it at the mall or on Amazon. You will find it in God and others.
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