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The pedestrian view of money usually encompasses three notions—success, significance, and security.
For example, Bill Gates, Carlos Slim, and Warren Buffet are widely viewed as successful people because they are among the wealthiest people in the world.
Significance involves wealth or, at least, the access to wealth. Time published a list of the one hundred most significant people in history.[i] Six of the first ten people listed were political leaders who had access to public resources to fund their work.
Wealth is equated to security. For example, one of my friends needs a heart transplant. To get on the transplant list requires a million dollars either in personal assets or insurance. My friend has neither. His risk of physical death appears to be imminent, therefore he is viewed as insecure because he lacks financial resources.
This pedestrian view of money coupled to success, significance, and security, is, however, limited to a naturalistic view of life. This means that life is viewed based on what is seen in the natural, which is walking by sight not by faith. Scripture admonishes us to walk by faith not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7), which means to see beyond the natural to what God is doing in the supernatural. I call this metaphysical awareness.
Metaphysical awareness, for example, means to view tangible assets, such as money, as God does. God created tangible assets to be temporal, which means tangible assets do not transcend this existence. This truth is self-evident in the physical world (General Revelation) and is revealed in Scripture (Special Revelation). Note the words of the apostle Paul:
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. (1 Timothy 6:7 NKJV)
This text intimates that human beings do not enter this life with tangible assets and at death tangible assets accumulated during life are left behind. Tangible assets are therefore temporal.
Given the temporal nature of tangible assets, what role do these assets play in dealing with ultimate reality—man’s accountability to the Creator?
We will all give an account of our lives before our Creator.
It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.
(Hebrews 9:27 NKJV)
Scripture seems to speak of accountability to God in two senses. First, judgment associated with our legal standing before God; and second, judgment for our choices. Our standing with God determines whether or not we will have eternal life (Revelation 20:12, 15), and our choices validate our standing (Matthew 7:21–23).
Regarding our legal standing before God, acceptance with God is based on the substitutionary atonement of Christ. This truth is presented clearly, compellingly, and cogently in the first three chapters of Romans. In this text, the apostle Paul notes that human beings, in and of themselves, can never meet God’s standard of righteousness (Romans 3:23) but through the atoning work of Christ mankind can be acceptable (Romans 3:21–22). This means that man cannot gain acceptance with God by means of human effort or tangible assets. Rather the solution for man’s fallen state is eternal life that is given freely to mankind according to the grace and mercy of God based on the redemptive work of Christ.
Regarding our choices, we must be clear that we don’t choose Christ, rather he chooses us (John 6:44; Ephesians 2:8–9). Nevertheless those chosen by Christ will evidence that they are saved by expressing faith in Christ and living under the lordship of Christ (1 John 2:3–6). In other words, those who are chosen by Christ as Savior will in turn choose to submit, albeit never perfectly, to him as Lord.
What role do tangible assets have in the reality that Jesus is both Savior and Lord? Given that tangible assets are simply temporal tools, those who know Christ as Savior are responsible to steward tangible assets under the lordship of Christ, which means according to the will and ways of God. Though faithful stewardship of tangible assets cannot save us, faithful stewardship is an indicator that we are saved.
To faithfully steward tangible assets means to use those assets to align with the will and ways of God. Part of this responsibility is to exchange tangible assets that do not transcend this existence for intangible assets that are valuable in both this existence and the next. In other words, trade up. To illustrate this reality, consider seven biblical examples of intangible assets that are more valuable than tangible assets. These are listed below with supporting texts.
• Wisdom, Knowledge, and Instruction
Receive my [wisdom personified] instruction, and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold;
For wisdom is better than rubies,
And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.
(Proverbs 8:10–11 NKJV)
• Reputation
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
Loving favor rather than silver and gold.
(Proverbs 22:1 NKJV)
• Righteousness
Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
But righteousness delivers from death.
(Proverbs 11:4 NKJV)
• Respect
A gracious woman retains honor,
But ruthless men retain riches.
(Proverbs 11:16 NKJV)
• Divine Revelation
The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of coins of gold and silver.
(Psalm 119:72 NKJV)
• Godliness with Contentment
Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
(1 Timothy 6:6–7 NKJV)
• Genuine Faith
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6-7 NKJV)
God provides resources to not only meet our temporal human needs but also to invest in intangible assets. Wisdom, reputation, righteousness, respect, divine revelation, godliness with contentment, and genuine faith are seven examples of intangible assets that are more valuable than tangible assets. Real wealth is intangible wealth—assets that transcend this existence (Revelation 3:17–18). Wise investors always seek to trade up; this is a principle of sound stewardship.
Given the ultimate reality that all will give an account for our lives before our Creator, temporal tangible wealth can never be the ultimate metric of success, significance, and security. Only those who can give a good account before the Creator will enjoy true success, significance, and security. Such people will be saved from the penalty of sin and death and will enjoy eternal life by the grace of God through faith in Christ. Furthermore, such people will display the reality of their faith by their choice to live under the lordship of Christ. One of the indicators of being under the lordship of Christ is trading up—trading tangible wealth for intangible wealth.
If you truly know Christ as Savior, then choose to live accordingly—trade up. Use temporal tangible wealth as a tool of alignment with the will and ways of God and value what God values—intangible assets that transcend this existence and therefore have eternal value.
May the Lord give us grace to use our time, talent, and treasure to trade up to intangible wealth and therefore enjoy eternal success, significance, and security.
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[i] Steven Skiena and Charles B. Ward, “Who’s Biggest? The 100 Most Significant Figures in History,” Time, Dec. 10, 2013, http://ideas.time.com/2013/12/10/whos-biggest-the-100-most-significant-figures-in-history/.
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