My fruit is better than gold, yes, than refined gold, and my increase than choice silver. Proverbs 8:19

My granddad had a collection of special money. He kept coins that are now considered valuable today because they are not in general circulation. One day I got to look in his “money chest.” As he gave me a wheat penny for a job well done, I saw a few stacks of two dollar certificates, a few jars of Eisenhower silver dollar pieces, some buffalo nickels, a bunch of Kennedy half dollars, and more wheat pennies than I could count. In my ten year-old eyes, my “big daddy” was rich!

My goal that day was to one day follow suit; I would have my own money chest…like big daddy. And as time progressed, I was well on my way, hustling odd jobs at a very early age and cultivating a healthy shrewdness about my spending habits. But the more I made, the more attention I paid to the meticulous caretaking of my earnings. That in itself wasn’t all that bad, but I found myself thinking almost exclusively about money or the ability to make more of it. Something was out of balance.

That’s when God and wisdom stepped in and began to guide me toward the ageless balance between God, People, and Things. Money is a wonderful tool of assistance in any of the three areas. But if it ever becomes the master of any one, it will wreak havoc for the whole. And without Godly wisdom, the soul who possesses it has no way of knowing if the money and the power it wields is taking possession of him or her.

One of the best things wisdom taught me is the act of giving. Instead of looking at the money I make as mine, I view it as a harvest God has allowed me to help him steward. Therefore, He gets the first slice as a token of my appreciation and then wisdom gladly helps me administer the rest.

I still like the special coins and I do have a few here and there. But my highest hope is that the treasure I’ve laid up resides mostly in heaven. And never would I have imagined how rich that kind of money management could make me feel. So grateful!

You’ll recognize this as true—you with open minds;
 truth-ready minds will see it at once. 
Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money, and God-knowledge over a lucrative career.
For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth;
 nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her. Proverbs 8:18-19 The Message Bible