what makes the world go round.

One day, while talking about money with a friend, it occured to me how absurd our obsession with our paper and metal curreny has become. Back in the day, money did not even exist; people bartered. They traded goods and services for other goods and services. Then, one random day, someone comes up with this grand idea of money, and all of a sudden, strips of paper and cirlces of metal become one some of the chief objects of man's desires. If you think about it that way, our want for money seems completely ridiculous. Many of us spend almost twenty years of our lives learning and studying and researching, just so we can get a job that gives us money. Think about how much of what we do revolves around that one thing that did not even exist a few thousand years ago! Not only do we desire it so much, but our longing is not for something that is concrete. Currency values are constantly fluctuating. Stock markets can crash overnight. Former employees can be unemployed in a matter of minutes. A totaled car can wipe out a family's bank account in a matter of seconds. It is no wonder that people make so much profit from writing books on how to deal with depression during a financial crisis!

Now, I do not want you to think that I am telling everyone to go burn all of their money, go live in the forest, and eat racoons and boisenberries. Money is important, but it is not something to be idolized, and it is not something in which our security should be placed. Money is something that God gives us, entrusting us with his blessings. The Bible is constantly referencing the dangers of wealth and the punishment that will be given to those who stake their lives on it. When we taint the gifts of God and neglect our responsibility to be good stewards of what we have been given, we experience the consequences of our sinful nature. Money is to be used wisely, yet cheerfully. I do believe that we should spend money on things that we want and not just that which we need. But we need to keep in mind that God is not pleased with selfish gain. All that we have is from the Lord, and we need to think of our finances with that mindset.

My parents never eluded to the amount of their income, and I am grateful for that. When a child knows how much money their parents have, it opens the door for the unhealthy thought that they can have whatever they want. I think it is important for parents to teach their children wise money handling methods, and perhaps even to tell their kids how much they make when they are older. Whatever the case, parents should always teach their families that immense value should not be placed on such an unstable thing.