Money Matters

[April_Rose]

Although it's true that money actually does matter, how much does it really matter? Money is important to survive to buy a place to live, clothes on our backs, and food in our bellies, but there are also things that money can't buy or rather shouldn't. Cause true love and friendship shouldn't have to do with how much money somebody has.


Also, we shouldn't love our money more than we love the Lord otherwise money has become an idol to us. It's also a sin and against the Ten Commandments to steal, yet I understand why some people do when they live so much in poverty that they steal in order to feed their families. Is God more understanding to these people? Does that make it less of a sin then? What do you guys think? The discussion is open. :)

 

[Kaz]

Nice topic!

Well, I believe that God is merciful and will take into account the situation involved. If a man robs a bank to get money to buy a yacht and a big house in Miami, that's one thing. If some poor pregnant mother without a penny to her name needs food and steals money or shoplifts to eat, then I believe that God will be lenient.

Also, I think that sometimes we are harder on ourselves than God is.

 

[April_Rose]

[QUOTE="Kaz, post: 1000873, member: 10288"

Also, I think that sometimes we are harder on ourselves than God is.[/QUOTE]




Isn't that the truth? I know that happens with me ALL the time. I am way too hard on myself. I haven't ever stolen anything but I still am. Anyways, I think that there are places that help these people but still it's a rather tricky question. It's a sad situation altogether.

 

[quietthinker]

Nice topic!

Well, I believe that God is merciful and will take into account the situation involved. If a man robs a bank to get money to buy a yacht and a big house in Miami, that's one thing. If some poor pregnant mother without a penny to her name needs food and steals money or shoplifts to eat, then I believe that God will be lenient.

Also, I think that sometimes we are harder on ourselves than God is.

if we superimpose man's values onto God are we saying that God is less just than man?

 

[April_Rose]

I was watching an episode of The Saddle Club last night. I'm not sure if anybody here has seen that show, but it was about a romance between two of the main characters. One of them didn't know that the other one was really rich and part of the main plot of the show is the girl is a rich kid from an extremely wealthy family. The girl was always snobbish and mean until the end, but the boy never let on he was rich and it never directly tells you why,.. but I can only assume it's because he didn't want people to like him solely based upon the fact that he was rich, because in the end, the girl truly likes him for who he is even though she thinks he is poor and probably it's because he works in a coffee shop I guess. I don't really know that part though. :/

 

[quietthinker]

I was watching an episode of The Saddle Club last night. I'm not sure if anybody here has seen that show, but it was about a romance between two of the main characters. One of them didn't know that the other one was really rich and part of the main plot of the show is the girl is a rich kid from an extremely wealthy family. The girl was always snobbish and mean until the end, but the boy never let on he was rich and it never directly tells you why,.. but I can only assume it's because he didn't want people to like him solely based upon the fact that he was rich, because in the end, the girl truly likes him for who he is even though she thinks he is poor and probably it's because he works in a coffee shop I guess. I don't really know that part though. :/

It's the money factor that gets peoples attention. These episodes are an invention of men and will those who hold Jesus as their first priority be drawn in with these fabrications/constructs whose value revolves around money?

We should know that the Greatest Story ever told was of the one who created and ruled the Universe came as a man, a pauper and made himself of no reputation so that the greatest treasure, that of Life can be won.

 

[Amazed@grace]

Money is an illusion. American currency is actually Fiat money.

Some say the best investment to secure our chances in an national or global emergency is to invest in silver and gold.This is known as having hard assets.
However, in the early 20th century a law was passed "making" Americans turn over their gold to the government.
That can happen again.

 

[Cristo Rei]

Money is a distraction... We are indoctrinated to believe we need to work hard our whole lives to accumulate wealth

"The love of money is the root of much evil"
This is often misunderstood and misquoted as well.
Money isn't the root of all evil and not all evil come from money.
I was trying to explain this to a friend recently. I think i failed but

When i was a prodigal son i had wealth through dealing drugs... Blew my money on useless material things...
After leaving that lifestyle and returning to God i became much more resourceful and have learnt to appreciate the simple things in life...:cool:

Don't get me wrong... A mansion and a Ferrari would still be cool to have but im at peace with my Toyota Hiace van... ...
Its cosy, i sleep well in it and it. It has a kitchen and gets me around to wherever i want to go

 

[Pathfinder7]

Interesting topic.
---
Those who never had 'lack of money'..
- It might be difficult to understand..about people who are going through
'poverty, not enough money for daily food, etc..'
----
I remember the time..
- When I did not have gas money for my car..to go to the meeting.
---
Interesting to note.
When people have enough money, they want more..
- Saying this..from experience/observation.

 

[Cristo Rei]

Interesting to note.
When people have enough money, they want more..
- Saying this..from experience/observation.

Thats the indoctrination that i speak of... Why must we work 40+ hours a week and accumulate so much wealth?
Do we live to work or do we work to live?

Iv heared it being described as an addiction... So thinking about it in that context i can see how it can get addictive.
Every measure of society is based on wealth. Everything is geared towards the accumulation of wealth.

What more does one want after he has a home and everything else? Why keep slaving away till your 70?

Those who never had 'lack of money'..
- It might be difficult to understand..about people who are going through
'poverty, not enough money for daily food, etc..'

So true... With these covid lockdowns for example... Iv noticed people that are well off have absolutely no grasp of what life is like for the struggling class... "Stay home save lives" meanwhile the credit card has gone down to 30k cos of all of it, you have no home and no job and cant feed your family. And people are calling you selfish for wanting to earn money to survive

I remember the time..
- When I did not have gas money for my car

Me too... Last week... ... But im happy

 

[JohnDB]

Although it's true that money actually does matter, how much does it really matter? Money is important to survive to buy a place to live, clothes on our backs, and food in our bellies, but there are also things that money can't buy or rather shouldn't. Cause true love and friendship shouldn't have to do with how much money somebody has.


Also, we shouldn't love our money more than we love the Lord otherwise money has become an idol to us. It's also a sin and against the Ten Commandments to steal, yet I understand why some people do when they live so much in poverty that they steal in order to feed their families. Is God more understanding to these people? Does that make it less of a sin then? What do you guys think? The discussion is open. :)

Money is a tool... nothing more or less.
Just like a DeWalt Drill is a tool. (I like the new LiOn ones....just in case)
Most people don't have that opinion about money. And from the responses on this board it's completely transparent that I'm alone in my views about money in this community.
So....to me, the question is how to get those who claim Christ to actually have and own a truly Christian perspective about money. When it's obvious that so many just are deluded into thinking that they have one.

I think that Jesus was just as perplexed with the same question. Especially when people are stubborn in their delusions.

 

[TheslightestID]

I dont care too much for money cuz money can't buy me love. :)

 

[Enoch111]

Although it's true that money actually does matter, how much does it really matter?

Money matters with regard to all transactions which require cash. The Bible does not condemn money as such. In fact money was required in order to fulfil certain commandments. However the Bible does condemn the love of money -- covetousness, greed, and the idolatry of making Mammon a god.

What Christians generally forget are the beneficial effects of money, when applied towards the propagation of the Gospel and outreach to those who are needy, particularly needy Christians. The apostle made this a serious concern for Christians. And Christian liberality is described as a spiritual gift -- a "grace".

 

[Enoch111]

Money is an illusion. American currency is actually Fiat money.

Perhaps what you mean is that money has no intrinsic value since it is not backed up by gold. And that is correct. There was a deliberate effort to undermine the true value of cash by removing the Gold Standard, and making the American dollar the standard instead. Well today the American dollar is actually not worth the paper it is printed on. Yet it retains its value because if everyone tried to cash their paper currency there would be no gold to pay out.

Now that the Communists run the USA, trillions of dollars can simply be printed up with no thought to any such thing as "the national debt". And taxpayer dollars are all going towards the pork which was planned by the Democrats all along. "Infrastructure" can mean anything you wish to make it mean, including reparations to blacks and luxury accommodations for illegal migrants (asked to pour into the country to give the Democrats permanent power in the USA). The Democrats are now living in Demoncrat Utopia.

 

[Amazed@grace]

I would suggest Jesus was no pauper. Nor was his family.

At his birth wisemen brought gifts to herald his birth. These would have been to sustain his family raising in the flesh Messiah, king of heaven.

Further, Joseph and Jesus are said to have been carpenters. That trade would also insure a sustainable living. However, it may be a mistranslation to think they were crafters of wood given their homeland was northern Israel.
Stone masons would be more likely.
In which case they would have lived very well indeed.

 

[Amazed@grace]

Perhaps what you mean is that money has no intrinsic value since it is not backed up by gold. And that is correct. There was a deliberate effort to undermine the true value of cash by removing the Gold Standard, and making the American dollar the standard instead. Well today the American dollar is actually not worth the paper it is printed on. Yet it retains its value because if everyone tried to cash their paper currency there would be no gold to pay out.

Now that the Communists run the USA, trillions of dollars can simply be printed up with no thought to any such thing as "the national debt". And taxpayer dollars are all going towards the pork which was planned by the Democrats all along. "Infrastructure" can mean anything you wish to make it mean, including reparations to blacks and luxury accommodations for illegal migrants (asked to pour into the country to give the Democrats permanent power in the USA). The Democrats are now living in Demoncrat Utopia.

I meant precisely what I posted.
The above are your meaning.