Did you know that money doesn’t really exist? In the natural, it is an idea more than a reality. In the spiritual, it is a force or power that is not contained by bills.
Economists measure the amount of money supply in the US Economy by looking at what’s called M1, M2, & M3. These three numbers – at any given time – all measure the amount of money in the economy. Are you surprised that there are different ways of determining how much money exists? These measurements begin a technical discussion of velocity which we won’t enter here. What’s important for us to know in this discussion is that there is not one concrete answer to the question of how much money exists. This is because it is an abstract medium of exchange (and a spiritual force), not a concrete thing.
Money is a lower level spiritual force that is common in everyday life for all of us, and thus it makes for an excellent teaching guide for many spiritual forces. That’s why Jesus used it more than any other teaching tool. It is also helpful to compare it to another common teaching tool of His – water.
A human life is a vessel. We can hold any number of things. We can store up hate, greed, and lust, but let’s focus on the positive. We can be containers of God’s love and many other qualities of His. Provision is one of these qualities. Let’s look at different vessels of water.
A cup can only hold a cupful of water, a lake can hold a lakeful. On the one hand, you may be given a new cup of water – but only a cup – each day. On the other hand, the lake is, well, a lake. As time goes on, you realize that you will always have a cup of water for the day. But if you depend on the the lake, it will eventually drain. One principle of Kingdom Economy is summed up by Jesus’ own words:
Mt 13:11-12 [NASB95]
Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
“For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”
Faithful stewardship of the flow of money through our lives makes us worthy to handle a greater flow of His money and blessings, and these will proceed. Practicing the skills of stewardship over money in your life is also excellent training for your walk in many other areas because true Kingdom principles stretch across all areas of life. This is one reason Jesus used money so often to teach with. It would be a mistake to over-spiritualize and think that He was not talking about money when He used that example. But the principles He applies do apply to other areas of life besides money as well.
Someone you know could join our discussion. Won’t you invite them?
Photo credit: Stuart Pilbrow