Follow Your Dollar

Money is one of the most-oft addressed subjects in the Bible!

Why?

Because money has a way of capturing our hearts that few others things do.

Don’t get me wrong. Relationships, careers, hobbies, and possessions all compete for our time and affections regularly throughout the day and week. But our affections are often driven by the Almighty dollar.

A weekend getaway or a dozen roses is often driven by this one question: how much does it cost?

The same goes for a new set of golf clubs, a drill kit, a new washer and dryer, braces for our kids, or an anniversary gift for our spouse. Money matters.

And I think asking the question “how much does it cost?” is where many of us miss the mark of importance on the impending purchase. Money is meant to be the channel by which the value of the purchase is measured. But we often see the exchange of money as the end instead of the means.

The better question is “how much is it worth?”

Is your spouse worth the getaway or the roses? Is it worth going back to school for that degree? Is fixing the garage door worth buying the new kit? Is the kids’ education worth the extra tutoring? Is your golf game worth the extra lesson?

There’s a difference between want and need. And I get that. So prioritizing how our money is used is extremely important. Part of our problem is we can’t always distinguish between want and need. Phrases like “I’ve gotta get one of those” or “I can’t live without my…” sounds like a desperate plea to maintain a certain status that has some sort of basis of survival.

How we view money is most certainly a heart issue. Money is a treasure. Some people want to heap it up in big piles while others spend it quickly out of fear of it burning holes in their pockets. It’s a status symbol. It tells the world what we prize the most. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

I think there are three primary ways that we can utilize our money. Give. Save. Spend. Years ago I tried to discipline myself to utilizing my money this way. In that order. It’s not always been easy and I haven’t done it perfectly every single pay period but I’ve found it to be invaluable as a treasure principle for my own financial sanity and maturity.

Here’s the principle: 10/10/80. Give 10 percent. Save 10 percent. Live on the rest.

What’s the giving element you ask? Charity. It’s a charitable donation to an organization or ministry need that would benefit and push their endeavors forward by my generosity. For me, it’s the local church. The amount may not be significant and perhaps the beneficiary wouldn’t even miss it much if I skipped out every once in a while. But there’s something intangible that happens inside of me when I loosen my grip on what I’ve earned to benefit someone else.

The savings part; disciplined decision-making. I’ve earned it but I’m choosing not to spend it vicariously right now. Perhaps I will see something more valuable down the road. Who knows, maybe I hit a financial bump in the road. Maybe someone else could use it. Maybe it will help with retirement. Or maybe it becomes an inheritance for my kids.

The rest; this is living within my means. Eighty percent doesn’t give me permission to spend carelessly. I need to weigh each purchase in the balance of wants and needs and assure myself and my family that needs come first and everything after that is a blessing accompanied with hard work. Only spending eighty percent of what I earn necessitates some financial wisdom that I may would forfeit otherwise.

I recently heard a pastor say that we should ‘follow our dollar.’ And so here’s the word that has been resonating with me lately; investment.

Investments can account for more than just money. I can make investments with my time. Relationships. Special talents. And those investments no longer only affect just me. The investment begins to build a community of beneficiaries.

Your investment will inspire more investments. When I make small sacrifices with my time, treasures, and talents and I witness the progress and reward of those risks it inspires me to want to give and do more. These tiny investments are unlocking the doors of generosity that have been barricaded by inward, self-serving thoughts robbing me of the satisfaction found in serving and helping others.

Your investment will influence others. When others witness the reward of personal sacrifice by investing what we have into a spectacular cause it transforms their thinking to consider doing the same. People experience something that is truly liberating when they quit squandering what they have for the sake of making an invaluable investment in the lives of others.

Your investment will initiate personal involvement. One of the best ways to assure that our investments are well managed and engineered to be most productive is by personal involvement. ‘Put your money where your mouth is’ can be re-assigned by ‘put your body where your money is.’ Don’t just write a check; give of yourself. Make time to give your time. Be present. Then we will maximize our investments to the highest degree.

So, how will you choose to ‘follow your dollar?’ Who do you see as a beneficiary of your investment? When you see him, when you see her, when you see that, don’t simply ask “what does it cost?” Ask “what’s it worth?” And make an investment that could last a lifetime and beyond!