Money or time

[Norah63]

Which is more important to you? If you have time is it the only thing you need? What part does money play in your time? Giving up our money or our time can be a serious question each of us must face.
We know you cannot serve two masters, but time is not a master, it is given by our Master. We use it as we choose. Our words are also a gift, more precious than money we use everyday.
Once saw a saying that went: " We squander our health in search of wealth,
then squander our wealth in search of health"

 

[dysert]

Both, of course, are important, and I think the key to success is to achieve a proper balance between the two. Theoretically, you can get more money, so it seems less serious if you squander it. Time, otoh, cannot ever be regained, so we should be more careful how we invest it. There are plenty of occasions where you have to trade time for money, but when you have the choice, it seems to me that time is the more valuable resource.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

I think time is more important than money in my life. When I was young I used to work two and three jobs trying to get money. LUNACY! That is time I can not reclaim and like
Dysert said, time is finite and very precious. I am not saying money is not important, it is. It is just not more important that time.

 

[Norah63]

Good thoughts from both. I like that 'proper balance' that dysert gave.
So many things in life we get out of balance, and then nothing goes very well.
Yes Handmaid, at this stage of my life, I understand how precious time is also.
It goes by so quickly and how much can we say we have really done for Christ with all our earthly labor. Only hope and pray that as an older saint there is yet more mountains of faith to climb.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

Good thoughts from both. I like that 'proper balance' that dysert gave.
So many things in life we get out of balance, and then nothing goes very well.
Yes Handmaid, at this stage of my life, I understand how precious time is also.
It goes by so quickly and how much can we say we have really done for Christ with all our earthly labor. Only hope and pray that as an older saint there is yet more mountains of faith to climb.

 

[candle glow]

If all the money in the world suddenly disappeared, people would have to figure out some other reason to help one another. I wonder what that reason could be...

 

[Stones]

In my experience, Money gives me time. I spent the first half of my life working hard, making money and raising a family and these days, I have all the time in the world to enjoy my life due to the money I made. So, work hard and make money while the sun shines. Then you can relax in comfort and time is on your side for the rest of your life...Time is no fun when you are old, broke and homeless...

 

[candle glow]

I guess those who don't have a comfortable life just aren't working hard enough...

 

[Stones]

I guess those who don't have a comfortable life just aren't working hard enough...

Yes, It would seem so, especially in my country where their is prosperity. People can bludge around when their young and they do. How does the proverb go? "O sluggard, Consider the ant" and "In all labor there is profit: but the talk of the lips leads only to poverty".

 

[candle glow]

Yes, It would seem so, especially in my country where their is prosperity. People can bludge around when their young and they do. How does the proverb go? "O sluggard, Consider the ant" and "In all labor there is profit: but the talk of the lips leads only to poverty".

Oh I see. I think I understand where you are coming from. I agree that in western countries where there is a lot of wealth, there are usually a lot of welfare systems and safety nets meant to help people who don't have jobs or whatever, and that some people abuse this.

However, I am thinking about a much bigger picture. Resources in the world are finite, which means that the more we take for ourselves, the less there is for others.

Every country cannot live like some of the more wealthier western countries because there are not enough resources to meet that kind of demand, so SOMETHING must be done to stop everyone from grabbing everything all at once, no matter how hard they work.

That is the monetary system and the rich control it very carefully.

 

[Norah63]

What would make us think that resources are finite?
There is always more than enough in God's economy.

 

[candle glow]

What would make us think that resources are finite?
There is always more than enough in God's economy.

If we are talking about here on Earth, then no, resources are not infinite (the opposite of finite).

Sure, there is enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed.

 

[Norah63]

Ask and you shall receive, that is the advice of an all loving giving God. The creator of all resources. Is anything too hard for Him? Give and it shall be given unto you, pressed down good measure running over. This shows us there are no limits on the economy of our Lord. Ye have not because ye ask not, or asking amiss to consume it on your lust. Can the poor and needy that don't know God have this problem, yes we see it everyday in our world.
The limit is on our ability to agree with Him. Oh yes, many will say, I believe, you can do it Lord, if it's your will. That puts it the agreement back off of ourselves and we think that is relieving us of responsibility. It doesn't, all of the promises are for us, as we walk in them. Can two walk together except they be agreed?
You can't mix unbelief with the Word of Scripture.

 

[Norah63]

Do you always think money means greed? If we lived under another form of exchange,
food, clothing, wood, hay, would that do away with greed?
It is the love of that must be guarded against. What forum of exchange do you use?

 

[Boidae]

If I remember correctly and CG can correct me if I'm wrong, but if you work and receive a paycheck you have a love of money.

 

[candle glow]

Do you always think money means greed?

The real point is what Jesus and his followers said about money. Jesus said God is one master and mammon (money and the things money can buy) is the other master. He said we cannot work for both without cheating on one or the other and that who we choose to work for shows who we love and who we despise.

He actually said that.

If we lived under another form of exchange,
food, clothing, wood, hay, would that do away with greed?

Greed can still exist even without money. I believe this is why Jesus said that we should not let worry about food and clothing stop us from living by faith (i.e. working for love rather than working for the purpose of getting all these other things).

Ultimately, it's about motivations for WHY we work. It just so happens that money is the most convenient and efficient motivation for why people work, because all those other material goods can be bought with money.

The only thing that will "do away" with greed, is for people to act on Jesus' teaching to just start working for love rather than mammon (money and the things money can buy).

If I remember correctly and CG can correct me if I'm wrong, but if you work and receive a paycheck you have a love of money.

Ultimately it's between the individual and God to decide what's really happening in that person's spirit. However, when people insist that they cannot help one another unless they get something for it, I see an inconsistency with the values of the kingdom of Heaven which Jesus preached.

 

[Boidae]

The real point is what Jesus and his followers said about money. Jesus said God is one master and mammon (money and the things money can buy) is the other master. He said we cannot work for both without cheating on one or the other and that who we choose to work for shows who we love and who we despise.

He actually said that.



Greed can still exist even without money. I believe this is why Jesus said that we should not let worry about food and clothing stop us from living by faith (i.e. working for love rather than working for the purpose of getting all these other things).

Ultimately, it's about motivations for WHY we work. It just so happens that money is the most convenient and efficient motivation for why people work, because all those other material goods can be bought with money.

The only thing that will "do away" with greed, is for people to act on Jesus' teaching to just start working for love rather than mammon (money and the things money can buy).



Ultimately it's between the individual and God to decide what's really happening in that person's spirit. However, when people insist that they cannot help one another unless they get something for it, I see an inconsistency with the values of the kingdom of Heaven which Jesus preached.

Right now I am looking at being a full-time caregiver for my wife who has multiple sclerosis and I am looking into a program that pays family members to give care to their loved ones. The states that do this know that for one spouse to stay home at all times will put a drain on them financially, so they have started this type of program. For us it's not such a big deal for me to get paid, but I do have court ordered child support from a previous non-maritial relationship that must be paid monthly, so what I would get from this program would go for that each month.

We also have an 11 week old baby girl here at home that the money I would receive would go towards.

My wife and I when we started to realize her illness was progressing started praying for God to provide and having faith that he would. God has provided in the form of this program.

So my question is this, do you feel that it's wrong that I will get paid for taking care of my wife full-time even though this is God's answer to our prayers?

 

[candle glow]

So my question is this, do you feel that it's wrong that I will get paid for taking care of my wife full-time even though this is God's answer to our prayers?

I think I've already said that it's not my opinion which should matter. I'm just a guy on the internet and in the end I don't have perfect understanding of truth. I also said that ultimately it's something the individual and God needs to work out.

What *I* am talking about are general concepts relating to what Jesus taught.

Something my friends and I will sometimes ask others to consider, when talking about money and motives, is to ask if the job they are getting paid for is something they would do even if they were NOT getting paid for it.

The money in itself is really not the issue. It's our attitudes and motivations which God looks at. I get the feeling that taking care of your wife is something you would do regardless of whether you got paid for it or not. If the state is offering to assist you with that work, I don't see that it conflicts with what Jesus was getting at regarding loyalty to the system vs loyalty to working for love.

However, when people say, "I will only help you if you agree to pay me", then that is different.

 

[OldStudent]

There are few things I do well and contentedly - with skill. I trade time in the use of those skills (via money or trade of goods or services) for those things I need or want in which I lack skills. All told time comes first.

 

[Norah63]

Yes Student that is one very good way to use our time and talents in helping ourself and others also. Maybe that is the world CG would be more comfortable in.
Motive will always be upright in the true christian heart. So money is not the problem for any society.
Hey good quote about the ant. Says a lot about motives.