It’s the moment I have been waiting for… my three-year-old son turns to me and asks me a financial question- “What is money?”
The next several moments weren’t pretty as I stammered and stumbled trying to answer his question. I came up with- “It’s a uniform measurement of value son.” Not really the best answer for a toddler. I finally just sent him to timeout for not asking an easier question (not really).
Earlier that week he had brought me a piece of paper he had scribbled on and was calling it money. Why is that piece of paper that my son scribbled on not money but the piece of paper that has George Washington’s face on it money? It ultimately does come down to what is universally accepted as having value.
Money is very complex in some ways and yet very simple in others. There is much that I want to eventually teach my son about money. One thing I want him to be wary of is not giving this unit of value too much “value.” It is devastating to misplace our hope, our self-worth, and our security in money.
Money can be the motivating force behind breaking relationships, destroying lives, and moral failure. A simple piece of paper. On the other hand, it can assist in families creating memories, building relational bridges, and developing someone’s education. A simple number on a screen.
Jesus was clear “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money" (Matthew 6:24).
Money can be a good tool but it is a terrible master. Resist the temptation to give money more value than it deserves.
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