I READ an interesting article recently in the financial section of USA Today. They were discussing how mutual funds had fared during the recent stock market fluctuations. As part of the coverage, they had decided to interview an “average” investor. The lady they chose was a 34-year-old professional (obviously unmarried and with no kids; you’ll see why I say that in a moment) making $61,000 annually. She was investing $700 a month (general investments) and 16% or so of her total salary (for retirement). And she was worried she might not be saving enough.
She seemed like a nice lady, but, I confess, I was not moved to worry about her. Not about her, at least.
Aren’t perceptions about money crazy? I perceive the lady above to be . . . , well, suffice it to say, her worry seems to me to be well-nigh obscene.
But it wasn’t that long ago that one of my kids told me that a friend of his thought we were rich. I knew that, on that particular day, if we wrote a check for two large pizzas it might well bounce over the moon. But I had to admit, by my son’s friend’s standards, we are rich indeed.
Money. It’s strange stuff. I know precious little about it. But I’ve observed a few things.
$The same motion you use to sign a $2.50 check for your child’s school lunch money is all the motion required to sign a check for $300,000.00.
$Just because people spend a lot doesn’t mean they have a lot.
$A big income does not always indicate a big bank account. Lots of us, rich or poor, are very good at spending about 10% more than we make, no matter how much we make.
$Most millionaires don’t look like millionaires.
$Used by a good steward as a tool, money can do lots of good things, but those who try to buy security with it will find that the price of security is always one dollar more than what they have. They are poor.
$Our checkbooks say a lot more than most of us would like them to about our real priorities and our hearts.
$The condition of our hearts is more important than the dollar amount we give. (Remember the story of the “widow’s mite” in Mark 12:41-44?)
$If we use the fact just mentioned as an excuse to give a paltry amount, our hearts are in bad shape.
$The old charge, “All that churches are interested in is my money” is not true. All that some televangelists are interested in is your money. But most preachers I know hate to preach about money; they love us enough to do it anyway. I don’t know any who say as much about money as Christ did. But if you find an organization in your hometown that does more good, proclaims a more wholesome and important message, and loves people in more practical ways than your local church, I’d suggest you write them a big check.