S1 Ep1 What is Money?

In this first episode of ‘Where Your Treasure Is...’, Simon and Bex go back to basics and open up a discussion about what money actually is and how it can affect our attitudes towards financial matters. Three core principles that can help to shape our thinking about money are identified as being as follows: (1) Everything belongs to God – He is the originator and true owner of wealth (2) Our role is to be good stewards of the wealth and possessions entrusted to us by God, managing them faithfully and effectively on His behalf (3) If we demonstrate that we can be trusted to use resources in a godly manner, we may well find that further responsibilities of that nature come our way.

Overall, the healthiest approach that we can take in this area is to look to God as our Provider first and foremost rather than focusing attention on money in its own right, which is likely to lead to worry and a sense of dissatisfaction.

Specific points of interest in this episode include the following:

• Simon explains the history of money and comments that it originally used items, such as gold, that were regarded as possessing their own intrinsic value and could therefore be used as a medium of exchange. [02:36]
• In the modern world, however, money has developed more into a ‘promise’ which is usually processed in a digital manner rather than existing in a physical format. [04:46]
• Our attitudes to, and appreciation of, money can be affected by the fact that it has become a fluid concept and can often be ‘virtual’ in form when we encounter it. [06:47]
• Education and experience are important in helping us to understand how money works. [08:38]
• Simon talks about the emotion around, and the ‘value’ of, money, noting that the Bible comments regularly on the significance and impact of our habits and attitudes in this area. [09:49]
• Bex gives the story of the Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 19: 16-30; Mark 10: 17-31; Luke 18: 18-30) as a biblical example of someone who put his trust in the wrong place. [10:48]
• Simon observes that people can find that money on its own does not necessarily fix major concerns in life, such as health and relationships, and that is why this podcast explores what we should value as ‘treasure’, and how our money and possessions should then fit into that perspective. [11:38]
• Simon speaks about using money as a tool to support our own values and priorities rather than focusing on it as an end in itself. [14:04]
• Simon asks Bex about her purpose in life to illustrate a key issue underpinning the choices that we make in connection with our use of money. [16:07]
• Bex observes that widely varying attitudes towards money can be prevalent in churches and asks Simon for his thoughts on that point. [18:31]
• Simon comments that there are basic principles that are important when trying to arrive at a biblical understanding of how we should deal with money. The first is recognising that God owns all things and that everything we have is a gift from Him. (Psalm 24:1  “The Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.”) [20:11]
• The second principle is Stewardship, the idea that we don’t actually ‘own’ our money and possessions; instead, we look after and manage them on behalf of God. [21:11]
• Thirdly, there is the Trust and Test principle, which prompts us to be faithful and conscientious in the manner in which we handle any wealth or possessions entrusted to us by God. [22:31]
• Simon concludes by highlighting the fact that the Bible talks about worry being the outcome when people make money their focus. Instead, the best foundation for developing good practices and attitudes in our personal finances is to look to God, first and foremost, as our Provider. [24:38]
• Feedback, comments and questions are invited from listeners, who can direct emails to whereyourtreasureis@freerangepodcasting.co.uk. [25:58]
• The next episode will explore what the Bible has to say about money. [26:39]

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