by Rika Muluzi

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2).

Money is fickle, the Bible tells us it grows wings and flies. Sometimes it’s when you need it the most that you will seem to have no money. I grew up in a very poor home in a poor part of the world; many times we had to go to sleep after eating a very basic meal. My mother was a teacher in a village school and things were very difficult for us. Long story short, it took a miracle to get us to where we are.

Fast-forward about ten years and there I was, earning more than five times as much as my mother did when she was twice my age. My whole family made its way to the United Kingdom and although it was a struggle to get to where we were, we did our best and God blessed us.

That was when I started noticing a problem. I was too tight with my money. I saved, I wanted to have money in the bank just to have it. I shopped at pound stores and even when I could afford better things, I went for the cheapest option from soaps to furniture. I kept the braids in my hair until I absolutely had to undo them.

I was sitting on a chair one day when it snapped and fell under me. A trip to the doctor and a lecture from my friends had me thinking about why I lived the way I did and why I was being so cheap. In my mind I was not a cheap person and had never been one, but it was clear I was missing something.

My cheap purchase, a flimsy chair, became an expensive trip to the doctor along with medication and all the complications of being sick in London. If I had just bought a slightly more expensive chair that was strong enough to hold me, I would have been better off. I had to find out what God’s will was for me. Was it that I should live miserably and save for some time in the future, like the lady who keeps her favourite china locked in a cabinet, only to end up dying before the queen has an opportunity to visit and use the china? Or the woman whose husband buys her pearls that are kept in a special drawer, waiting for a special occasion, only to have them placed on her during her funeral?

This month, I want to discuss why cheap always ends up being expensive. It’s perfectly alright to budget and cut costs, and we are commanded to give to God (Malachi 3) and to share what we have with those who are in need (James 1:27). Sometimes our experiences cause us to worry. People who have seen the impact of the credit crunch are more keen on saving and on rejecting credit cards. Families are discovering that they do not need everything they have.

This is very healthy. The recession is teaching people around the world that their property is inconsistent and they must learn to cut their coats according to their cloth. But the enemy is also watching and he will plant ideas in the mind of every believer who will give him an opportunity. He takes our experiences and tricks us into living on edge all the time.

I was living a “cheap” life not because I was trying not to waste, but because I was always worried. Every time I wanted to get something, the whisper came: “Do you want to go back to poverty?” I resisted everything, and avoided people who needed help. Slowly, I was beginning to love money, and this is what the Bible calls the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10) and indeed while I coveted after it, I erred from the faith. Trying to live a miserly life so that I can have something laid up in the bank is akin to laying my treasures where the moth will destroy them.

Compare that with the person who has plenty, but is ready to “cast their bread upon the waters” (Ecclesiastes 11:1) – giving to God and to His children and getting what is necessary for daily life.

God blesses His children so that they can bless each other. If any Christian has wealth and property, he or she should share it with those who are in need of the basics. Our material gifts, just like our spiritual gifts are for the edification of the church. Furthermore, Jesus came that we should have life, and that more abundantly (John 10:10). He desires that we should enjoy life. I have to keep reminding myself of this truth. God wants me to be joyous in this realm. Joy and an abundant life do not come from what a person owns, but from who owns the person. Knowing that I am God’s child helped me to understand His provision for my good, and day by day as we walk together, He teaches me how I can save just as much as I need to, and use the rest wisely. My mind had to be renewed and I had to be healed from the pain of the past for me to get to this stage.

As you climb up whatever ladders you will climb, spiritually, but also materially, remember those below you and remember your provision is for a reason. To whom much is given, much is required. (Luke 12:48)

Blessings to you this month!

Photo Courtesy: Internet search

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