FINANCIAL FREEDOM

Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to worry about money? What if you had more than enough? How would your life be different if you didn’t have to work for money? How would you spend your time? Where would you spend your money? What would you do? Who doesn’t want financial freedom?

THE MYTH

Some version of the financial freedom myth follows us all of our lives. The genie with the three wishes has kids everywhere wishing for more wishes. People dream of winning the lottery. We hear of “overnight” success of in sports or music or business, but we also hear the cautionary tales of how they lose it all. Even those who achieve this “financial freedom” don’t necessarily find happiness in it. Maybe financial freedom isn’t about having an endless ATM. What if you could be free now?

THE MASTER

Jesus said a lot about money. In fact, he said more about money than about just about any other subject. Most of us (even as Christians) dismiss his teaching as naive. He said not to store up treasures on earth. We rent more storage units. He told us to be on guard against greed and the hold it can have on us. We think it won’t affect us. He said we can’t serve two masters, but most of us are still trying.

God never tells us what to do to make us miserable. He instructs us in the way of abundant life. Jesus is not trying to bankrupt us, he is trying to save us. He knows the destructive power money can have in our lives when we live for it. Money is a great servant, but a terrible master. Financial freedom is not going to come when you get all you need. It will come from mastering your money. If you don’t master your money, your money will master you.

Sunday at Mountain View we will start a new series to change the way you relate to money. It will help all of us to become its master and not its slave. Whether you have a lot or none at all, these four weeks could be the change you’re looking for.