Kicking it into gear
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I’ve been somewhat conflicted lately. I actually didn’t realize I was conflicted until this weekend. For the last couple of months, I have been pursuing money (making and saving) like there’s no tomorrow. My notebooks are filled with attempts to compare one money making scheme with another, in order to make the most money in the most efficient way. I’ve been systematically increasing my reading speed in order to be able to plow through more business books. I bought an ebook solely about saving money while grocery shopping, and have contemplated buying several more on similar subjects. In short, I’ve been obsessed with money.
None of the above activities, I should point out, are really bad things. Most of them are very good and useful things, and part of thinking about the future and planning for it. But any time or passion devoted to one thing necessarily takes time and passion away from something else. That’s where the conflict comes in. My time and passion were being sapped from my work, to some extent from my home life, and most distressingly, from my relationship with God. I lost interest in activities that used to be meaningful to me (this sounds like a commercial for depression; but I haven’t been depressed, I’ve been misfocused).
This point was driven home to me this weekend at a really deep series of spiritual meetings. We were encouraged in a lot of soul searching and specifically pinpointing those things that are distractions and barriers. Money came up front and center for me. The trouble was, I didn’t know what to do about it. I do want to earn money and be frugal; I think those are things that God not only wants of me but are even things He gives me tools and talents to do. I just didn’t know how to find balance.
Then yesterday, one of my friends (completely unaware of my internal struggle) proposed a simple, radical idea that blew me away. “Figure out how much money you need to live on,” he suggested. “Make it practical; put a specific number on it. Then commit to giving anything you receive above and beyond that number to God.” Whoa! Maybe that doesn’t seem revolutionary to you, but it sure does to me. There are lots of things about that idea that send my mind spinning, but the number one thing is that if I followed his advice, all of my money making ideas, far from being the separate pursuit that they are now, would actually be an act of worship. Not to mention that I would be able to achieve one of my other primary goals in life at the same time, which is to give to causes that need the money; causes like ADRA and Project Patch, as well as my own local church.
Simple as this idea is, it is transforming my thinking. The question is no longer “How I can best make money?”; it’s “How can I make money matter?”
If this is all too philosophical for you, and you wish I’d just get on with it and tell you how to make money, don’t worry, I will. By and large, this is going to be a nuts-and-bolts blog, with lots of specifics and practical advice and five-step plans. But the reason behind my decision to finally go forward with this long-planned blog matters a good deal to me, and that’s why I’ve shared it here. I suspect that money and its abundance or lack has more to do with attitude, motivation, and beliefs than we typically understand. But don’t worry, I’ll “get on with it” starting with the next post.
Oh, yes, and by the way, welcome. I hope that you’ll join in the conversation by posting comments and by all means, please feel free to contact me via email at bookchiq AT gmail DOT com.