Better Than NormalSample

Money The world is full of things that yearn for our attention. Everywhere we look, we see things that appeal to us, seem to even call out to us saying, “Buy me!” or “You need me!” Material possessions can lure us in so much that we purchase something that may not have been on our financial radar. And before we know it, we’re in a toxic cycle with money and possessions, and don’t know how to get out of it. This is “normal” living for so many people. This normal way of spending and managing our money doesn’t leave us in a good place. For example, it’s normal to spend every bit of our income and not save any money for emergencies. It’s also common to go into debt and never pay things off. It’s “normal” to think that as long as we can afford the payment, we’re good. The Bible actually has a lot to say about the topic of money. In fact, it’s one of the most talked about subjects in the entire book! A couple of things the Bible tells us about money is that it won’t satisfy us (Ecclesiastes 5:10), and that when wealth is gained quickly, it’ll dwindle quickly (Proverbs 13:11). In Matthew 6:19-24, Jesus is teaching about money. He warns us against accumulating worldly “treasures.” Instead, He challenges us to acquire “heavenly” treasures, because they never end and can never be destroyed. Jesus tells us that our heart will follow where we’ve placed our treasure. His final and most powerful exhortation to us is that we “can’t serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24 NLT). We can keep doing what we see displayed in most of the world, or we can make changes and live better than normal. How does today’s Bible reading play out in our finances? Normal focuses on accumulating, while better than normal gives to others. Normal allows money to lead, while better than normal seeks to be led by God. Normal keeps 100% of our income, while better than normal trusts God with 90%. Normal doesn’t think ahead, while better than normal lives by a plan. Normal is enslaved to debt, while better than normal saves to pay in full. Normal thinks of today, while better than normal invests for the future. Money isn’t a bad thing by itself, but when we allow it to be our god, it can wreak havoc in our lives. The money we earn should be something we use and not something that uses or controls us. What if we adjusted our normal mindset to have a better than normal one? Spend some time thinking through your relationship with money and see what needs to be changed.