Most people I know have an innate sense for helping others. We may argue over how much we should help each other or even what the the best way is to help others.

We may discuss the government’s role in helping others versus our local church. But, we often dismiss how our economy is set up to allow us to help others in almost everything we do.

The Three Easy Ways to Support Others

Charity - giving with nothing expected in return.
Buy a Good – buying something with high value for a low fee.
Sell a Good – selling something with a low cost at a high price.

How These Three Support Others

Charity

The first thing that comes to mind when supporting each other is charity. I define charity as any time I give something to someone else and expect nothing in return.  For example, you may want to give to the homeless through a local shelter, or you may want to donate to help Haiti earthquake victims. 

Even the great capitalist Andrew Carnegie supported charity, but he understood the importance of giving wisely.

“Those who would administer wisely must, indeed, be wise, for one of the serious obstacles to the improvement of our race is indiscriminate charity” – Andrew Carnegie

When giving money away you are investing in others and your community. Although you receive nothing directly in return, the act of charity may help someone survive another day or get past a road block that is keeping them from living out their God given potential.

Buy a Good

A less understood way of actually giving is buying a good. Every time you buy something from someone you are helping them out. They used their creative talents and abilities to manufacture a product or service for you at some cost and by paying them you are giving them in opportunity to buy something with more value in their eyes in exchange. You still have to be wise when buying something, though. If you buy something that you really don’t want then you are essentially giving away money as charity and should evaluate the decision from the perspective of a charity gift instead of a purchase.

Don’t miss another post! Get Redeeming Riches delivered straight to your inbox!

Sell a Good

The flip side of buying a good is selling one. Just as a buyer helps a seller, the seller is also helping the buyer. When you work hard and create a good that has value to others you are supporting them by giving them an object of great value at a cost that is cheap to them. This is why they buy it. Again, though, you must be wise and only sell things that can be made at a cost lower than the selling price otherwise this is also a charity.

What This Means for You

Remember the joy you get every time you give to someone in need. Now that you know buying and selling also help others you can be happy every you reward a hard worker when making a purchase or provide value to someone when selling a good. Of course, never stop giving. Your investments to those in need will pay off now and forever, but be happy every time you make a wise buy or sell.

Verses to Consider

• Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 1 Timothy 6:18
• All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23

This has been a guest post by Ryan.  He is the creator of ObsessedAnalytic.com, a blog for young adults helping them Find Time, Save Money, and Have Fun

Life is funny isn’t it?  All through school we’re told to get good grades so that we can get into college.  Once we get into college we are told to get good grades so we can get a good job.

Once we get a good job, we work a ton of hours so that we can move up the ranks and get a better job, which usually requires more time and more pressure so that we can set ourselves up with the next promotion. 

We do all of this in hopes that once we reach a certain job status or certain level of income that it will provide us with happiness.  We want more money to accumulate more things, which just take up more time that we don’t have, which leads us to wonder at some point in life,

Is this all there is? 

A Merry Minimalist

Are promotions and hard work bad things?  Of course not!  But, many times, we have it all wrong.  I need to constantly remind myself of this, so maybe we all need a bit of reminder:

True wealth is not found in our promotions or our jobs or by helping a company turn a profit!  It is found in the quality of relationships and pursuing our passions! 

So maybe we need to take a step back and simplify.  We just might find that minimizing our pursuit of stuff may just lead to a greater quality of life.

Simplifying lifestyles leads to owning fewer “things”, but let’s take a look at how owning fewer trinkets can lead us to owning more:

Own more time

You’ll free up time to do things you enjoy.  Maybe it’s spending time with family and friends.  Maybe it’s sitting down and reading a good book.  Maybe it’s a home project you’ve wanted to get done.

It’s amazing how quickly our “I’d like to do” list gets piled up. 

For example, we say, “Oh, I’d like to take the kids to the museum, or I’d like to take my wife out on a nice date, or I’d like to spend more time volunteering at a non-profit organization” and then those things never happen because we’re too busy.

Maybe it’s time to take a step back and look at how much time we spend building our own little earthly kingdom rather than investing into others.

Don’t miss another post!  Get Redeeming Riches delivered straight to your inbox!

Own more money

The whole premise to the Millionaire Next Door, the popular book by Thomas Stanley and William Danko is that based on their research they found the majority of those who lived in upscale neighborhoods and had high incomes were not weathy – they just lived high on the hog.

When we kill ourselves to move up the ladder so we can make it into the next upscale community and keep pace with the next income bracket, a funny thing happens.  Our net worth typically doesn’t increase. 

Those who realize the foolishness of keeping up with the Joneses and are satisfied with what they have tend to see an increase in net worth because they save money rather than blow it!

Own more happiness

Remember the song “Cats in the Cradle“?  It’s a sad song about a dad who never played with his son because he was always so busy.  The tables turned on the dad down the road when his son told him he didn’t have time to visit with his father because he was too busy himself.

You could be the best employee at your job, moving quickly up the ranks, but if your spouse and kids can’t stand you because you are never home or never involved with them, what good is it?

Simplifying our lifestyle or decluttering your life from “stuff” will free up more time for you to invest into and enjoy things that will bring greater returns – like quality of relationships.

Share your thoughts!

Confession time!

I’m not as generous as I should or could be!

Here’s another thing: I like to receive more than I like to give.

Why?  Well, because it’s inherent and I’m selfish.

I know what you’re thinking -

“Wait a minute – but you write about generosity and giving and doing good things with your money”

That’s true.  And I believe strongly in everything I write.

But, there’s a disconnect.  Part of me loves to hold on to my stuff, hoard it and use it for me.

It’s like I’m addicted to my own selfish desires.

I don’t want to be selfish, but I find myself slipping into selfish mode so easily.

How?  Well, it shows in various ways including marriage, other relationships, my money, my time etc.  And if we were all brutally honest – we’d probably come to the same conclusion. 

I always tell people that I never realized how selfish I was until I got married and had to start putting my wife’s needs above my own.  After that I never realized how much selfishness there still was in my heart until I had kids and I had to put their needs above my own.

In terms of money, I like to hold on to my money for comfort and security.  I like to put my trust in my savings accounts rather than God himself.  I like to view the money I have as mine rather than God’s.  I don’t like to think of myself as a steward, I like to think of myself as owner.

But here’s the thing – I want to be totally unselfish, completely generous and not care an ounce about my status or my wealth, but it’s hard not to – especially in this culture.

But – as one of my favorite songs says:

To give unselfishly, to love the least of these
Jesus I’m learning how to live with open hands
All of these treasures that I hold will never satisfy my soul
Jesus I lay it at your throne with open hands

How to overcome your self

So how do we overcome our selfish desires for money, fame, status, power or even the praise of men?

Well the first thing we need to realize is the fact that we are selfish and come to terms with that fact.

The second thing we need to realize is that it’s a process and there is a big learning curve.  It takes time. 

The third thing is to recognize how GREAT our heavenly treasure and that our earthly treasures pale in comparison. 

The treasure of Christ far outweighs our earthly goods.  But so often we have blinders on.  Ask God to help you see the greatness of Christ displayed in the gospel.

I’m learning, baby-step by baby-step – but the process is a good one.

Agree or disagree?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether this is a struggle for you or if you think I’m off my rocker!

Ask 100 people how they’re doing and count the number of times they say, “Busy!”. 

Busyness seems to have become some sort of idol in our culture.

But why are we so busy? 

Many times it’s because we work insane amounts of hours every week - why?  Just so we can get ahead.

But does building your earthly kingdom equate to true wealth? 

Ask anyone who is on their death bed if they wished they spent more time at the office and I can (almost) guarantee they will answer with an emphatic “No!”

Instead, they wished they repaired a relationship with their son or daughter or they wished they would’ve been a better husband, or that they gave more time helping others.

According to the National Sleep Foundation:

the average employed American works a 46-hour work week; 38% of the respondents in their study worked more than 50 hours per week.

I know some of you are not employed right now because of this recession and would be glad to work even 10 hours a week. 

This post is for those who are working a ton of hours just to get more money so they can increase their lifestyles.

I think this can be a challenge for all of us, and I direct this post to myself maybe more than anyone!  I’ve been extremely busy lately trying to get our house done and moved in etc. 

Busyness isn’t bad

Don’t get me wrong – busyness isn’t a bad thing.  We should work hard, play hard and enjoy life.  After all, we’re only here for a short time.

But all busyness isn’t created equal.  I know for myself I have to fight a constant battle against wanting to “get ahead” with taking time to rest and spend time with family.

Are we busy with the right things?

My wife and I get a kick out of watching House Hunters International.

One of the recent couples they had on were looking for a vacation home in Nicarauga.  The husband was a general contractor and worked an insane amount of hours. 

The wife ran her own rental real estate business and one thing she said in the opening was something like this:

We don’t get to see each other much since our lives are running in so many separate directions – so we want a vacation home so we can relax and spend time together.

I looked at my wife and said, “that sure doesn’t sound like an appealing lifestyle to me”.

Sure, they’ve got a huge house in California and are buying a vacation home in Nicaragua, but I can’t imagine not spending time with my wife or kids just to be able to afford vacation homes that you won’t have time to go to.

Most of us are busy with things that ultimately won’t mean a thing.  Sure that promotion would be nice – but what will it mean for us?

Probably more time at the office and less time with family.

What should we do about it?

I don’t have all the answers – and I am still , but I can tell you one thing that I made a commitment to in 2009 and will continue in 2010 and am happy to have followed through on it.

I decided at the beginning of the year that I’d take one Friday off per month and call it Friday Family Fun Day – where my wife and kids would spend the day together, go out for lunch or to the park and just enjoy being together.

I actually marked these in my calendar at the beginning of January and stuck to just about every single one of them – apart from some extenuating circumstances.

Another thing I did was marked off a quarterly Daddy/Daughter Date where I would take my 2 year old daughter out on a date and we’d go hang out.  I took her to see puppies and out for breakfast, we did a lunch together.  These were GREAT times!

So, all that to say – make sure you’re busy with the right things.  I’ve got room for improvement, but I’m taking steps in the right direction.

What about you?

What are some ideas you have to help keep busy with the right things like relationships and helping others? 

Do you have any traditions in your family for quality time?

I usually spend weekend posts looking at key money passages in the Bible.  I’ve found that I spend a lot of time in the New Testament.

This weekend we jump to the Old Testament for our money passage.

Ecclesiastes is a famous book that takes a look at life with pessimism, optimism, paradoxes and hammers home the point that we need God in an often confusing and frustrating world.

“This also is vanity” is a popular line from this book.  The author gives us a much needed re-evaluation on many of life’s greatest pursuits -

Including money!

Ecclesiastes 5:10-12:

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.

The More You Love Money, The Less It Satisfies

Here’s the interesting thing about our wealth – the more we love it, pursue it, live for it and give up everything for it – the less it satisfies.

In my opinion the opposite is also true. 

The less we love it, the less we pursue it, the less we live for it and the less we give up everything for it the more content we become with what we have and where we are at.

Don’t you hate paradoxes?  Why can’t things be the way we think they should be. 

Maybe it’s God’s way of keeping us humble and keeping our focus on Him.

Money CAN Satisfy

Don’t get me wrong – money can make us happy.  I mean, who doesn’t love making money or spending it.

The point is that when we think money will bring ultimate satisfaction, we buy into a lie.  It’s vanity!

I really believe we start getting more satisfaction from our money when we view it as a tool to be used for others.

So, let’s be content with what we have and content with giving our money away. 

Believe me, I need to hear that myself as much as anyone.

ESV Study Notes for Reflection

The Preacher observes the destructive nature of greed and concludes that contentment is a key characteristic of the godly life in this world.

Wouldn’t you agree that happiness can be elusive? 

I mean, doesn’t it seem like it’s what we all strive for and yet many of us never find it.

It’s like the tighter you try to grab hold of it, the more we choke it to death and never receive it. 

The more you run after it, the further away it seems to get. 

The more we search and clamor for it the less likely we’ll find it.

It seems like one of life’s huge paradoxes.

Here’s what I mean:

Work and Happiness

Many times we think I’ll find happiness when I sink my life into my work.  So we work 60-70 hours a week to get the big promotion and once we achieve it the happiness wears off and so we look for the next big promotion to work for.

A very interesting display of this was Tom Brady in a 60 Minutes interview talked about his Super Bowl rings and essentially said that he’s been to the top and has still asked himself, “Is this all there is to life?”

People and Happiness

What we really need to be happy is a significant other.  So we pursue and chase until we find someone that gives us those warm fuzzies only to realize that a few months later or a few years later those warm fuzzies are gone and we “aren’t happy any more” or we “don’t love them any more”.

I think this is why the divorce rate is upwards of 50% – we think people will make us happy and we are disappointed when they don’t – at that point, we think the answer is to leave.

Health and Happiness

Good health is one of those things you take for granted until it’s gone – and then it’s something we wish we had back.

Many of us pour hours into going to the gym, working out and eating right to help achieve happiness in our health. 
But above a certain standard of health – are we really more happy as we get healthier?

Money and Happiness

Will money make us happy?  Sure, up to a certain point.  It’s fun to make, save and use our money to help others. 

But once you reach a certain standard of living where you don’t have to worry about your expenses any more does money really bring that happiness that we’ve wanted?

Things and Happiness

Boats, cars, electronic gadgets, new golf clubs – you name it – will bring a certain amount of happiness, but just like anything else the luster wears off and we are left thinking to ourselves, “I need to buy something new again”.

The Key to Happiness – My Theory

Happiness isn’t derived from health once you are above the minimum standard.

It isn’t wealth after you’ve met a certain standard of living.

It isn’t things after the initial luster has worn off.

It isn’t people if we are using them for our own pleasure and benefit.

Happiness is found in the quality of relationships and the living out of our purpose here on earth.

To create quality in a relationship two things need to happen:

1. Time needs to be spent together
2. The other person’s needs should be put before your own. 

 If both people are doing that you develop a great rhythm in relationship with each other.

Yet how do we spend our time?

Are we spending time with the people we love, friends we enjoy hanging out with and people we should be serving or do we have our noses to the grind trying to make something of ourselves?

What are your thoughts?

Do you agree or disagree with my assessment?  What is it that makes you most happy?

Each weekend I like to provide for of a devotional style post that includes a few verses on money and occassionally the study notes to help with further reflection.

These past two weeks I’ve been thinking a lot about true wealthand what exactly that means.   I deal w ith money and people’s attitudes with money on a daily basis and also blog about money almost daily as well.

Sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of a larger view of money and be consumed in the day-to-day decisions and workings of our personal finance.

But what exactly is true wealth and how do we keep a good perspective on our finances so we don’t become obsessed with our money?

There’s an interesting little passage in Luke 16:1-12 that talks about “unrighteous wealth” and “true riches“, which at first read can be confusing, but after listening to a sermon on this passage and reading through it a few times I am starting to see what Jesus is talking about.

The verses that I’ll focus on are 9-12 (emphasis is mine):

9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

 10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 

 What strikes me in this passage is verse 9!  We are to make friends by means of unrighteous wealth.  What Jesus is saying here is to use our money as a way to impact others lives!

Believers who use their wealth and possessions generously in this way give evidence of their faith and commitment to God and of their understanding that God will give eternal rewards to those who are generous in their use of the resources he has entrusted to them – ESV Study Bible notes

In other words be generous with your wealth, seek to give it away, help others with their needs and God will give eternals rewards! 

There’s a lot more in this passage than I can cover in the scope of one post, but I encourage you to study it on your own.

See, what I’ve known for a long time, but just realizing more deeply as of late is that this present world’s riches are a tool in which we use for kingdom purposes – all the time! 

And when we’re bogged down in debt, using money to keep up with our neighbors, stingy, greedy and the like and we don’t use our money for the kingdom, we are forgoing the greatest blessings, which are the eternal rewards God has promised.

When we do that we are forgoing true wealth!

What is the purpose of your money?  Have you been faithful with the “unrighteous wealth” God has given you so that He can entrust to you true riches!?