At a gathering recently I heard a young woman say, "yea but I can't make any money doing that!" She was speaking of a potential career in a field she was born to be in. I know she was because she is obsessed with this. It's her life, her dreams, her passion- and yet in order to follow this would mean the potential of not making any money, or maybe "good money".
Have you ever wondered what exactly is good money? Is it money that behaves itself?
According to Wikipedia (I know I know, but stay with me)-
What is considered good money?
Good Money is a digital online banking platform, often called a neobank, founded by Gunnar Lovelace. Good Money directs 50% of its profits toward environmental and social justice initiatives through impact investments and charitable donations. As a digital platform, Good Money takes no ATM or overdraft fees.
Well, I'm not entirely sure that's what people mean by good money, so let's dive a little deeper.
We find Gresham's Law.
Gresham's law is a monetary principle stating that "bad money drives out good." It is primarily used for consideration and application in currency markets. Gresham’s law was originally based on the composition of minted coins and the value of the precious metals used in them. However, since the abandonment of metallic currency standards, the theory has been applied to the relative stability of different currencies' value in global markets.
*Source investopedia.com
While I mean zero disrespect to parents and young adults every where, I highly doubt they have Gresham's Law in mind when they tell one another to go make good money. A thorough search through the interwebs found me at all manner of investment banking resources and tips on smart investing. Once I finish writing this, I may have to pop back over and wisely invest some bread, as it were.
Allow me to speculate and please, correct me if I'm wrong.
Good money to a parent or college age person means earning enough to make life comfortable. And really, there is no bad money in this scenario, yet, it is surely implied.
This idea begs the question, as my children are prone to asking- "well how much is good money?"
Again, a quick google search will leave the dear newly baby bird fledging through college with wonderings will she be able to earn such an income. Numbers of $300k a year being a good salary, but might not be enough because if you earn that you live in an expensive area.
Well then what ought a young person strive for?
$100k?
Yes, a family of 4 can live on 100k per year. The average household income in the United States is approximately 73k according to the US Census Bureau. At this income level you would have to commute rather than live in the most expensive cities such as Boston, San Francisco, and Manhattan.
If I'm to understand this correctly, the average person must strive for $100K in order to be able to have a sustainable life, yet don't even think about more than two children?
Working for years with those who struggle emotionally has piqued my interest in how did they get to this place at first? Sure, many have had unspeakable traumas, yet others are simply depressed, uninspired and aimlessly going through the motions of life.
Could it be that they have been pursuing a career for good money and yet have forgotten they were designed by our God to do a very specific task?
I believe I have my answer.
You see, the God of Heaven and Earth is personal, He cares a whole lot about details, He's a details oriented type of God. Praise Him, because details escape me. In any case, one look outside in His creation should tell a person that He indeed has every detail carefully thought out and what's more, is the details matter.
If we are more valuable that a sparrow, then aren't our jobs and purposes more important than that of a sparrow? Shouldn't we ourselves seek Him in what our specifics giftings are and pursue than- regardless of what society says we ought to earn?
It is the Lord who gives us the power to make wealth so that He may confirm His covenant with our fathers. (Deuteronomy 8:18) In fact, in that passage, it says "You shall remember..."
He sharply tells us to remember who it is who gives the power to make wealth.
There is a tragic pandemic in our world, long before Covid and it's this- generations of children being raised up to make a good living, find a good spouse, in a good neighborhood and raise a good and productive family.
Good is defined in this way; to be desired or approved of
By whom? Who's approval are we seeking when we pursue the things? Is it the Lord's? Mothers and Fathers, are you encouraging your children to seek His approval and His alone? Let's back up that question and ask it of you~ are you trusting the Lord's calling on your life enough to encourage your brood to follow the very career He has called them too?
Scripture has a host of examples of men and women seeking the Lord in their mission, without considering how much money they'll make. Ugh, even writing that out is nauseating. Can you even imagine the Apostle Paul meeting Messiah Jesus on the road and saying, "yea ok cool, tell the Gentiles about You. Got it! Now, before I say yes, how much is this gig going to pay anyway?"
Elijah- "Ok cool, go be a prophet to Your people, solid plan. Wait, what's that? get fed by ravens, the unclean birds? Yea no I don't think so. That sounds like an iffy way to support myself."
Moses- "Go set your people free from the oppression and bondage of Egypt, YES! Love it! So will this make me a good living, because I had a sweet deal back in Egypt, what with being the adopted son of Pharaoh and all. Because if not, I should probably say no, I've got this wife, and kids, yea I don't know. My father in law would be lit if I took his daughter away from him if I didn't earn a decent living"...
Messiah Jesus said "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things (clothes, money, food, water) will be added unto you."
Added in the Greek is provided for. Seek (in order to find, strive for, demand) first HIS kingdom (His rule, power & dominion). We are admonished by the Savior to strive for even demand his kingdom.
And yet so many of us demand our financial prosperity by seeking our own kingdoms. No matter how pitiful and tiny they may be, we certainly do demand them. What's worse, we heap these ridiculous burdens on our children, never allowing for space to be who they were designed to be and do what they were designed to do. Could it be this is why there are so many with an identity crisis in our culture today?
The question for you now is, will you seek first His kingdom and His righteous, trusting that all of these things will be added to you?
Good money indeed....Money that comes from Him- no sorrow is added to it, I'd say that is very good money.