Money: a useful tool, a dangerous idol

As a kid, I felt like the story of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” made perfect sense. Even though this wasn’t the story’s intended meaning, I remember finding comfort in the idea of having just the right balance of what I need. Too much and too little were both considered less than optimal to Goldilocks. There was a balance to be found and that balance was the best. As an adult, my fears and paranoia have made me uncomfortable with “just enough.” Conviction spills from these passages and pokes at my anxieties. What if I don’t have enough money in my emergency fund? What if my car breaks down for the last time and I can’t replace it soon enough? What if the “enough” God has given runs out and I’m found lacking?

Thankfully, the Lord has remained kind and graceful in my moments of hesitation. I often relate to the vulnerable (and surely anxious) children of Israel displaced in the wilderness. Yet God’s provision of manna always provided just enough for everyone to be fed and cared for. Any selfish or fearful hoarding was a waste. The only true consistency was the Lord’s promise to grant every single family exactly what they needed. It forced God’s people to release their own “control” over their survival and future and relinquish it back to the gentle and generous hands of their God. 

Each time I read these passages, they start to feel less like a condemnation and more like a twofold invitation. First, I hear a still, small voice asking me to think back. To recount every time that I’ve seen the Lord’s faithfulness when I needed and asked for help. Memories never fail to flood back and my faith is encouraged to re-choose dependence on Him. Secondly, I’m reminded that choosing dependence IS an investment. As helpful as extra cash and resources can be, every moment where I look to the Lord as my provider will be forever counted as eternal reward. That’s my kind of emergency fund!