“The quantity of money I have is not important”

Stewardship Lesson #3

Principle #3: “The quantity of money I have is not important” – Matthew 25:23; “His servant replied, 'Well done, good &faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come & share your master's happiness!'

This concept shocks most people because it goes against the training of the world. The world tells us that quantity of money is always important. This philosophy is summed up on the bumper sticker that says, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” We are taught that to be successful in life, we must make “a lot” of money. The amount is important, & we play a game with others in relationship to it. Sometimes we try to act like we have more money than we have. And other times we think we should act like we have less. But always, the quantity of money is a priority.

Yet, Jesus taught that it was not the amount of money or possessions that were important, but the attitude towards them & the use of them. For those who have learned contentment, the amount of money is not important. Certainly to have enough to meet our needs makes life easier. But still, the amount is not the issue.

Did you know that most instant millionaires are broke within two years? In other words, if given a million dollars, most of us would spend it in such a way that we would have nothing left in two years. And life goes on, whether you have a lot of money or only a little. By the same token, a person who has a little will live just the same (although on a lesser scale) than the one who has much.

Neither happiness nor success are tied to the amount of money we have. But both happiness & success are determined by our attitude toward money & how we spend it.

Recap:

1. If the amount of money is not important, what is important in relationship to money?
2. If you went to a large shopping mall & had a million dollars to spend, could you buy it all?
3. By the same token, if you went to a large shopping mall & had only $20 to spend, could you buy it all?
   
   
   The answer is “no” to both! There are always more choices for spending money than there is money, regardless if you are a millionaire or a pauper. The amount makes little difference. But what you do with the amount given to you makes all the difference in the world.