Is it okay to enjoy your money?

“A wise person should have money in their head, 

but not in their heart.”   Jonathan Swift

Money is NOT the root of all evil. There are some common sayings attributed to the Bible that are untrue and just aren’t in the Bible. Money is not inherently evil. Many misquote 1 Timothy 6:10 which actually says: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.” It’s not money that’s a problem. It’s loving it. It’s making it an idol and letting it have precedence in your heart before God.

  We’re faithful managers of God’s money when we live within our means. We’re faithful managers of God’s money when we save for the days to come. We’re faithful managers of God’s money when we focus on paying down debt. We’re faithful managers of God’s money when we pay our bills and when we expend effort in attempting to reduce our bills. We’re faithful managers of God’s money when we avoid all those deep-debt, high-interest, I-need-more-stuff ways to live. We’re faithful managers of God’s money when we give generously to the Lord’s work. We’re faithful managers of God’s money when we help someone in need. Ultimately, we’re faithful managers of God’s money when we live with an awareness that money is a terrible god but a beautiful means of serving God.

  But along the way, we can develop a very formal and professional relationship with money, where money becomes little more than a tool. Every dollar has a job—paying the bills and paying down the mortgage, and saving for retirement, and supporting the missionaries. Every dollar has a job, but not many of those jobs are fun. We use our money dutifully, but rarely have fun with it. Money then ceases to be a tool and becomes a taskmaster. That’s not God’s plan! God wants us to enjoy this gift!

  Many are away this Labor Day weekend enjoying their money. God wants us to do that! Money is a gift from our Heavenly Father, every penny of it. When you give a gift to your child don’t you want them to enjoy the gift? Absolutely!

  Scripture gives us a theology of money and management. We’re to handle what God has entrusted to us wisely and in a way that pleases Him. As God enjoys being generous, there is true enjoyment that comes from using our resources to be generous as God has been generous to us.

  Yet, a biblical fact that is often overlooked and rarely taught is that God wants us to enjoy the money He has given us. Many Christians live in guilt or feel guilty about enjoying the money that their Father gave them. When was the last time you just enjoyed your money? Money is a tool. But that’s it — it’s just a tool. Feel free to enjoy it.

  recently, Jane and I were vacationing in Northern Minnesota where we spent time with some dear friends, Tom and Leesa Drury. During that time I preaching for two of my friends: Tom Drury and Mike English. It took money to make this trip and we enjoyed spending it. Jane and I always look for unique restaurants and interesting stops along the way. All of that takes money. And while we were up there, we did some fishing (be prepared for some fish stories). Minnesota charges for a fishing license. For the sheer enjoyment, it’s money well spent.

  Too often the Church’s teaching on money is similar to much of the Church’s teaching on sexual intimacy. It’s spoken of so negatively with so much guilt and pressure attached to it, that God’s intent of enjoyment is missed. Sexual intimacy is a gift from God. God has three purposes for sexual intimacy: procreation, unification, and recreation. God gave it to us for enjoyment. Like money, when it is used properly within God’s plan of marriage, it’s intended for pleasure.

  Too often the teaching about wealth is negative and even toxic. Some have been hit with the “money is evil” message so often and so hard that they feel guilty if they enjoy money as a gift from God and miss out on His will. If money were inherently evil, why does the Bible contain so many examples of faithful men and women who had massive wealth and yet whose devotion to God is never questioned? Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, David, Solomon, Joseph of Arimathea, and Lydia are a few examples of biblical heroes who were wealthy, loved God, honored Him with the wealth He gave them and enjoyed God’s good gift of wealth.  

  Our Heavenly Father didn’t entrust us with money to endure it but to enjoy it. Are you enjoying yours? When was the last time that you let yourself enjoy the money God gave to you? When was the last time you gave each of your kids (or grandkids) $20 and set them free in the toy store? When was the last time you enjoyed a truly relaxing vacation? When was the last time you went to the specialty store and bought some amazing crackers and cheese? When was the last time you sat and savored a slightly-too-expensive yet an almost-too-delicious cup of coffee? When was the last time you bought a new book just because? When was the last time you bought an extravagant bouquet of flowers for your wife? When was the last time you allowed yourself to really enjoy your money?

  Many of us have debt for houses, cars, or college debt. We need to pay our bills and have a plan. Even if you owe bucks deluxe, if you never let yourself enjoy your hard-earned money for something within reason, debt can devolve into a source of irritation and even bitterness. Yes, we need to exercise self-control with money and put it to good use. It’s also good and God’s plan to enjoy it. It’s more than a tool; it’s also a means of pleasure.

  And here’s the wonderful reality: The better you manage your money as God’s money, the greater your enjoyment of these little pleasures. When all you want to do with your money is to seek indulgence, it will deliver ever-diminishing pleasures. When you faithfully manage it, those small pleasures are far richer and far sweeter. So use your money, and use it wisely, and use it for God’s glory. Remember though to enjoy it as well. It’s a gift from your Heavenly Father. He enjoys it when His children enjoy and are grateful for His gifts!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Enjoy: More than just a word

“We’re so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don't take time to enjoy where we are.”  Bill Watterson

Following Super Bowl XXI on January 25, 1987, a Disney commercial starred New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, in which he was asked “Now that you’ve won the Super Bowl, Phil Simms, what are you going to do?” Simms, who replied “I’m going to Disney World,” was paid $75,000. FYI: John Elway was paid the same amount just in case the Denver Broncos had won. Disney later aired three more ads that year with other famous athletes following major sports championships. In subsequent years, Disney reportedly has offered $30,000 to athletes and other stars for participating in the ads and appearing at one of its theme parks.

  The word enjoy stems from the Old French word enjoir. It means “to give joy, rejoice, take delight in.” True enjoyment doesn’t have to be big, i.e. like going to Disney World. Enjoyment comes from learning to enjoy the seemingly “little things,” that which is often overlooked.  

  1 Timothy 6:17 has a thought-provoking warning, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” God has filled this world and our lives with “everything for our enjoyment.” In other words, you don’t have to go to Disney to have enjoyment. You can just step out your back door or in your own backyard. It doesn’t have to be big, extensive, or expensive. God wants us to enjoy the good things all around us. As we learn to do that, life becomes so much richer and so much more enjoyable.

  This year Jane and I had planned to go to Taiwan to spend a few weeks with our son, Aaron, and his wife, Jiayu. We were greatly looking forward to it, yet with the pandemic, it’s no longer an option. It was something that we knew that we would enjoy. Yet, we’d be foolish and miss out on our Heavenly Father’s many good gifts all around us if we only thought enjoyment was thousands of miles away. Or, if we chose to become miserable about what we’d missed, yet fail to enjoy what we have.

  God has filled our lives with enjoyment. It’s all around us if we’ll simply stop and take the time to look. Too often we miss the many things that our Heavenly Father has given us to enjoy because we erroneously believe that enjoyment is a destination or something extraordinary, expensive, exotic, special, novel, or new. We wrongly conclude that enjoyment must be extra special for it to be enjoyable, yet true enjoyment is just so “normal.”

  Learning to live in enjoyment usually starts with a change in our perspective. It requires slowing down or even coming to a complete stop. It means turning down the noise or putting it all on mute.

  Enjoyment is found in God’s creation. The other day I watched a cardinal out my window hopping from the top of the fence slat to the next top of a fence slat. It was like he had little springs on his feet. I love watching doves gather in our front lawn. As I was sitting on our front bench, a rabbit hopped within a few feet of me as I sat ever so still.

  Did you see the rainbow the other evening? Last Saturday I watched as a sheet of rain came rolling towards me. When was the last time that you looked up at the white billowy clouds, guessing what the shape looked like? Do you periodically stop to gaze up at the stars or a moon filled sky?    

  Enjoyment is found in God’s gift of our homes. Our spouses and children are a gift. God wants us to enjoy them. Enjoying your spouse doesn’t necessitate going away for a getaway or a big date. It’s in the everyday. It’s a light kiss or a gentle hug. It’s thoughtfulness and gratitude.

  If you feel that you must have a getaway to enjoy your spouse, is it truly your spouse you enjoy or the change in the environment? Enjoyment in marriage comes from sharing normal life and day to day adventures.

  Enjoyment is a child’s laughter or hearing them squeal with delight. Enjoyment is watching a teen transition from a child to an adult. Enjoyment is the aroma of a home-cooked meal. It’s doing a project together with your mate. Enjoyment is a family excursion to a local ice cream shop. If the children are young (or if the grandkids are over), there’s something particularly thrilling about a pajama run after everyone is ready for bed to a local drive-thru for ice cream. Enjoyment is in the seemingly mundane of washing dishes, taking out the garbage, or picking up toys for the 1000^th time. Someday there will be few dishes, little garbage, and no toys…other than maybe the dogs’ toys.

  Enjoyment is found in relationships. In western civilization we too highly value accomplishments. While there should be enjoyment in a job well done or a project completed, God designed us to be relational.

  Most of us place a low value on relationships, especially outside of our biological family. Yet, then we wonder why we have so little enjoyment in our lives. Our friendships tend to be wide, but rarely deep. And we jettison them very quickly over differences, dissonance, or disagreements.

  As you read the Bible, you’ll discover mature believers had a circle of friends. Moses had Aaron and Joshua. David had an inner circle. Daniel, Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego had each other’s backs amidst the evil of Babylon. The Apostle Paul consistently traveled with a team.

  Even the Lord Jesus had a group of followers, both men and women, that He shared life with. I’d encourage you to do a study of not only Jesus’ 12 disciples but that group of followers that He continually interacted with.

  With the birth of the Church it’s very apparent from those early chapters in the book of Acts that they derived great joy from being in each other’s company and sharing spiritual life and everyday life together. Church was not a once a week event for them. They were a community and a family. To be sure, there were problems that they had to overcome, even persecution. That was part of the source of their enjoyment; a growing love for the Lord and each other in the midst of cultural and ethnic diversity.

  Life today is increasingly complicated. The enjoyment of life will rarely come from adding, but from subtracting. Famed basketball coach John Wooden was right, “it’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” Enjoyment comes by returning to the simple, to that which was already there but simply overlooked.

  This week determine to not just “do” life, decide to enjoy it. Thank your Heavenly Father for the simple and then bathe your heart in the pleasures that you may have overlooked or taken for granted. Tell yourself, “I’m enjoying this.” Most of us consistently rehearse in our minds what we don’t enjoy. And we’d enjoy so much more if we were thankful for the small things and habitually reminded ourselves that we were enjoying them. Most of us need to pull some noxious weeds of negative focus and cultivate an inner soul garden of enjoyment.

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.