Let Your Money Do the Talking

I took some Tylenol before I went to sleep last night and I woke up feeling like I had been drugged. That can't be normal.

How rich are you?

No, seriously. Think about it for a second.

Think about the value of every single dollar that you earn.

It's hard to see when you're sitting next to the Joneses, who actually own the money-printing factory downtown, but trust me when I say these words: if you're reading this, then you're richer than you know.

Don't believe me? Check out this website. Just do it.

Here are my results, in case you were wondering (since this IS my Time for Honesty this week):

Now, granted, I don't feel like I'm in the top 12.5% of the wealthiest people in the world. But how I feel doesn't negate the fact that I am. And as a member of the group of the richest people in the world, I feel responsible.

That's $40. It's worth 118,000 Le in Sierra Leone.

I feel responsible to handle my money well. A dollar may not seem like a lot, but it's worth a lot more when you don't actually have it. And whether we like to admit it or not, every dollar we earn is going to go somewhere.

If you've taken a budgeting class, you've heard that before. You know that if you don't plan where your money is going, it's going to leave you anyway. That's the tricky thing about finances. We all want money, but when we have it, it leaves as quickly as it arrives.

That's all good and well, but the question here is what on earth am I getting at? I promise I have a point. And I promise it's important.

Let's think about what we know so far:

Numero Uno - We're rich. Period. End of story.
Numero Dos - We have money, and it's valuable.
Numero Tres - The money we have is going to get spent somewhere.

Now, maybe I should have said this sooner, but I hate money. I hate that we need it to live. I hate that it keeps people from living. I hate that so many people depend on it, as if money, in and of itself, can save us from anything. But there's a lot to be learned from where our money goes. Take this hypothetical situation, for instance:

Person A spends 5% of his money at church, 25% on bills, 50% on entertainment, and 20% on vacations.

Now this may not be even slightly realistic, but work with me here. Person A seems like a pretty rude, petty person. Sure, he gives 5% to his church, and he gets the bills paid. But 70% of his income feeds his own desires. What do you think he values most in life?

I say this, not to rip on people who take vacations or spend money entertaining themselves (because I love to do both when I can afford it), but to make a point.  

And that point is this: we spend our money in the places that matter most to us.

This may seem obvious, but think about it for a second. Even Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will also be." Dude knew what he was saying.

This idea really gets to me, especially when I think about the way that organizations spend their money. Take, for instance, a hypothetical organization that supports small groups and building up people through that avenue.

This organization talks and talks about how important small groups are to their success. They even provide a little training and the occasional encouragement for small group leaders. However, when it comes down to it, they only invest $3 a person per year through this medium.

Do you really believe that they value small groups when you hear that?

I didn't think so. People put their money where their heart is. And that rings true for organizations, big and small, as well.

I say all of this, not to degrade or to discourage, but to raise awareness. Because, like we saw earlier, a few things are undeniably true:

1. We are rich.
2. Money is valuable.
3. That money is getting spent somewhere.
4. We spend our money where our heart is.

Be more aware of where you spend your money. Take a brief inventory where your money is going. It will reveal what you truly value in life, not just what you proclaim to value. And if you don't like what your finances reveal about who you are, change it. Ultimately, you're the only one who controls what you do with your money. Make every penny count toward what you're passionate about, not just toward what you think you're supposed to be spending your money on.

What do you think? Is there truth to this idea that we spend our money in the places that are most important to us? What do you think about being one of the richest people in the world? Do you think that makes you responsible to spend your money wisely? Or is your money your own business?

I want to hear your thoughts! Leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail! And while you're at it, Share this post with your friends - I want everyone in on this!