Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only €10,99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Wisdom On ... Time and Money
    Wisdom On ... Time and Money
    Wisdom On ... Time and Money
    Ebook113 pages2 hours

    Wisdom On ... Time and Money

    By Mark Matlock

    ()

    Switch to audiobook
    Read preview

    About this ebook

    There never seems to be enough time or money for what we want to do. Sometimes it can be overwhelming trying to manage our schedules—between school, work, sports, friends, and our family. And keeping track of our money—and using it wisely—can be just as challenging. It may not be something you think of very often, but whenever you hit a time or money crunch, a little wisdom could help.Inside the pages of this book, you’ll find biblical principles and practical tips to help you manage your resources better. You’ll even be challenged to try a few “projects” that can show you how wisdom can help you stay on top of your time and your money.As you read Wisdom on Time and Money, you’ll:• discover what the Bible says about these invaluable resources• explore your own motivations behind how you use your time and money• gain practical tools and insight to help you use wisdom in these areas of your lifeYou’ll find that this book will open your eyes to the reasons behind some of the time and money problems in life, and reveal how wisdom can help you use these resources to better your life and the world around you.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherZondervan
    Release dateAug 30, 2009
    ISBN9780310864837
    Author

    Mark Matlock

    Mark Matlock is Senior Fellow at Barna and a facilitator of innovation and impact. As the founder of WisdomWorks, he has been a consultant for many national and international faith-based organizations, helping them adapt to changing times by turning data and research into strategy and action. Having guided many projects with Barna, Mark's research provides insights into understanding younger generations, cultivating resilient disciples, and knowing the pulse of your city. Mark most recently coauthored Faith for Exiles with David Kinnaman and is currently working on Emotionally Healthy Discipleship for teens with Pete Scazzero.

    Read more from Mark Matlock

    Related to Wisdom On ... Time and Money

    Related ebooks

    YA Social Themes For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related categories

    Reviews for Wisdom On ... Time and Money

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Wisdom On ... Time and Money - Mark Matlock

      b

      CHAPTER 1

      EASY MONEY

      Have you ever wanted something really badly? In the back of my Boy’s Life magazine, there was an ad from the Johnson Smith Company for all kinds of amazing gadgets and novelties designed to grab a boy’s interest. The ad was filled with wonderful items like spy cameras, X-ray glasses, insecteating plants, plastic dog poop, garlic-flavored chewing gum, and-best of all-magic tricks.

      Man, did I love magic tricks. The ad said one trick would allow me to pull money out of the air with my bare hands. I’d seen a magician on television use the trick to fill buckets with half dollars-that was the trick I had to have! For just $1.50, plus another $1 for shipping and handling, I’d be able to make unlimited amounts of cash. I showed the ad to my father, who wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic as I was.

      Mark, this is all hype, he warned. You won’t be able to make real money. It’s a trick.

      But I knew my father was wrong. So I counted $2.50 from my piggy bank (which literally was a pig-shaped bank), handed it to my dad, and asked him to write out a check to send in with my order.

      Day after day I waited for the mail carrier to arrive. How big would the box be? I wondered. How much money would I be able to make? At night I dreamed of wearing a tuxedo as I stood in front of my first grade class, pulled money out of the air, and impressed all the girls with my suave performance (not to mention my money-making potential). I also dreamed of taking my family on great vacations and being asked to perform on television.

      This was the life-changing event I’d been waiting for. My package couldn’t arrive fast enough! Why, oh why, did I have to wait six to eight weeks for delivery?

      Finally, the big day arrived. I checked the mailbox and found a box with my name on it from the Johnson Smith Company. The box was smaller than I’d expected, but that didn’t faze me. I was moments away from turning my life around. I ran up to my room and opened the red, white, and blue box with the EZ-Magic logo on the front. Inside the box I found…a plastic coin. It was the size of a quarter, and there was a piece of double-stick tape on the back.

      What?

      I read the directions:

      Step 1: Remove the backing from the double-stick tape.

      Step 2: Attach the coin to the back of your thumbnail.

      Step 3: With your hand palm open to the audience, reach into the air as if picking something from it; this motion will reveal the coin.

      Step 4: Pretend to put it into a container in which you have already placed several coins.

      Step 5: Repeat, and then pour out the coins for others to examine. Real money from the air!

      Remember, practice makes perfect and shhhh! Never reveal the secret.

      I threw the box against the wall. Money didn’t come from the air! It was a con!

      My dad used the experience to teach me a lesson that I didn’t fully learn until I was much older: If something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

      b

      CHAPTER 2

      THE WANT

      Raise your hand if you’ve ever wanted to be fabulously wealthy—rich enough to buy anything and everything you want. Now raise your hand if you’ve ever wanted to be free to spend all of your time doing whatever you feel like doing.

      Obviously, those are selfish dreams. And you’ve heard it said time and time again that money can’t buy happiness and that with freedom comes responsibility. Yet that doesn’t keep us from holding on to those dreams. If we ever stumble across one of those three-wish genies, we’ll know what to ask for.

      That desire for money—and all the sweet stuff that money buys—is part of our makeup. So is the desire to do the things we love. It’s in our nature to want those things. The apostle John calls it the lust of [the] eyes (1 John 2:16).

      That lust—that nagging want—is one aspect of worldliness, the self-centered attitudes and focus of humankind. The Bible has much to say about that topic. However, before we start applying biblical wisdom, we need to explore the role that want plays in our everyday lives.

      For example, how many of your decisions are driven by a desire for things or for personal freedom? Will the lust of the eyes influence your career decisions? How about your college choices? Will it sway your decisions regarding whom you’ll date and perhaps eventually marry? Will it determine how you save or spend your time and money? These are questions that most people—even those who follow Jesus—wrestle with their entire lives. What am I really living for? What is driving my life?

      Beyond these big philosophical questions, there are practical ones to consider as well. We all have time to spend—24 hours a day, to be exact. And most of us have at least a little money to play with. What are the wisest choices we can make with our minutes and dollars? Is it okay to spend time just goofing off? How much work is enough—and how much is too much? If I’m going

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1