Cha-Ching! Cha-Ching! : Who is Your Master?

Cha-ching! Cha-ching! Session 1

Who is Your Master?

By Kuya Daniel Carandang

Money makes the world go round.

It is a saying common to almost everyone.

We use money to purchase our basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing. Not only does money provide us with what we need, our wants are also bought using those crisp notes. That cool IPhone 5 can be yours for more than ten thousand grand. A VIP ticket to your favourite band’s concert is just a swipe away with your Mom or Dad’s credit card.

Money makes the world go round, huh?

What is the real deal with money anyway?

Are they more than just crisp bills that serve their purpose?

We should all be aware that money is first and foremost a spiritual issue and not just an economic issue. The issue of lordship hovers above these coins and bills and unfortunate enough, we are not aware of this. You may ask: “How can money be a lordship issue? It’s just money!”

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Matthew 6:24

Money is the spoken thing that covers our relationship with God. We sometimes deny the fact that sometimes our desire to own things we want via money distracts us from focusing from our Heavenly Father. Sadly, the drive to get our hands on more money can diver us from the real deal.

The question we are then faced is: Who is your master?

Is it God?

Or money?

Our heart is an idol factory. We are easily sidetracked. Rather than focusing on God, we value things and matters more than we value Him. Money then becomes our idol. Idols are defined as anything that we trust and focus on more than God. Whoever we worship dictates the direction in our lives.

How do I know if money has become an idol in my life?

-          Money makes the decision of my life

-          Money becomes my top priority

-          Money is my source of security

-          Money is my source of significance and identity.

Simply put, money becomes your EVERYTHING.  

When we put all our efforts to gain more money, when our thoughts merely focus on how we can attain something that we want using money, when we feel safe if we have loads of those paper bills...that is when we can claim that money has taken over our hearts. It has claimed our attention and focus, which should be laid out for our Father, God.

Ask yourself:

Have I made money an idol?

Always remember what Matthew 6:24 says: we cannot serve both God and money. Do not deceive yourself! What is the most important thing in your life?

The Bible laid our two warnings we should heed!

1.       The cost of serving money is never worth it

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thought will also be.”

Matthew 6:19-21

Unfortunately, there are still a number of people who would do anything and everything to earn more money than they should. When money becomes your top priority, you would search for ways to get more. Some beliefs even burn replicas of money during burials, believing that such rituals would send money to their deceased loved ones.

The honest truth is we can never bring our earthly money to heaven when we die. Earthly money is easily destroyed or even stolen by thieves. On the other hand, if we invest on treasures for heaven, it’s much worth it. How? By living every single day for God...by doing random acts of kindness because of Christ’s love overflowing in us. As the Bible says, such is much worth it, compared to wasting every single day to money.

2.       The love of money is the root of all kind of evil

“But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”

1 Timothy 6:9-10

MONEY is sometimes the cause of all the evils occurring in this world. We are no stranger to reports of robberies within our areas, conflicts caused by greed and lives taken due to the constant want to possess more money. If we are not careful and we allow money to dictate our direction, our judgement may become clouded by greed and the Devil may overcome our attentions using money.

It’s no secret that we also need money. Our school fees must be paid, our food provided using those peso bills and the list goes on. There may be some of us experiencing financial problems and sometimes we become discouraged when we see that others have more than us. Maybe, we even fear for our tomorrows when we are so unsure of where we will get our funds for our needs.

Well, DO NOT WORRY! :>

Jesus promised in Matthew 6:25:

“So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life- whether you have enough food, drink and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing?”

God assures us that He will provide for all of our needs. We are His children and as our loving Father, He promises us that He will never let us go without. In Matthew 6:30, Jesus comments on how the flowers do not work or make anything, but they still live and continue surviving this world. If He cares for these flowers, surely He cares more for us! :>

So, don’t let money lord over your life. Money isn’t EVERYTHING! It won’t cry over us, it doesn’t care about us neither will it catch us when we fall. Unlike our God who will never leave us nor forsake us. We shouldn’t head ourselves with worry over money!

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Matthew 6:31-33

Remember, it’s not about the money! Ain’t about the cha-ching! It’s all about God!