Simple Money, Rich LifeSample

A WORTHY EXCHANGE

Every year, my wife Linda and I take the kids to the county fair. As with many fairs, you can’t use cash to go on any rides. You have to buy tickets. Every time, I try to make sure I use up all the tickets we bought. Why? Because the minute the fair shuts down, those tickets are worthless.

Our lives on earth are like being at a fair. We can accumulate tickets in the form of bank balances, investments, and possessions, but at the end of our earthly days, our fair tickets are worthless.

Well, except for when they aren’t. What if you had 1,000 tickets at the fair and every time you gave one to another fairgoer, that person got to go on a ride and $10 was deposited in your bank account? You’d probably spend your time at the fair giving away as many tickets as possible, right? Remember, they will be worthless in just a few days, but you have a small window of opportunity to exchange them for real currency that lasts beyond the fair. Not only that, but you would create great joy in the lives of others.

This idea of converting fair tickets to real currency by giving them away isn’t that far-fetched from how God connects our earthly giving and eternal treasure. Jesus, Himself said, “Go and sell what you have and give to those in need; you will be making deposits in your account in heaven, an account that will never be taken from you. Your gifts will become a secure and unfailing treasure, deposited in heaven forever” (Luke 12:33).

As God’s stewards, all we have is His. Our stuff, our bodies, our time, our money. Yes, it’s His money that just happens to be sitting in our accounts right now as we wait for the word on how to use it.

I believe as we begin to see ourselves as stewards, the adventure really begins. With Him, we have an invitation to do something bold, something incredible, something exciting. To walk into the unknown with Him. To fully trust in Him to work miracles. To live as if you live only once. To live as if the fair is coming to an end soon.

God, I want to make choices about my money, time, and possessions with heaven in mind. What adventure are you calling me to? Amen.

For more, check out Simple Money, Rich Life by Bob Lotich. It provides both the inspiration to give generously and the practical steps to actually have more money to give. It’s like a Swiss-Army knife that teaches you how to earn more, manage it better, and then have more fun giving than you ever thought possible. Start your journey towards true financial freedom by grabbing a copy here.