Money, Possessions & Eternity

...is the name of the book I am reading by Randy Alcorn. From the back jacket, here are some of the questions it address:

• Why is money so important to God?
• Is prosperity theology right or wrong?
• How can we be liberated from materialism?
• What should we do about debt?
• How much does God want us to give?
• How can we best help the poor and reach the lost?
• What about gambling? investing? insurance? saving? retirement? inheritance?
• How can we leave our children a true heritage?
• How can we use money in ways that God rewards?

It is not an easy read, that's for sure. I try to read a little bit every day & am only on page 52 (out of 447). There is a lot to digest. It is not your typical book on finances or budgeting or how to be frugal. It challenges your core beliefs about money. Here are a few quotes from the book:

When we look at money only as money, and not in light of its impact on eternity, we walk away with a cloudy and shortsighted vision.

The hardest part of dealing with our materialism is that it has become so much a part of us. Like people who have lived in the darkness for years, we have been removed from the light so long that we don't know how dark it really is. Many of us have never known what it is not to be materialistic. This is why we need so desperately to read the Scriptures, to grapple with the issues, bring them to God in prayer, discuss them with our brothers and sisters, and look for and learn from those rare models of non materialistic living in our Christian communities.

Seeking fulfillment in money, land, houses, cars, clothes, boats, campers, hot tubs, world travel, and cruises has left us bound and gagged by materialism--and like drug addicts, we pathetically think that our only hope lies in getting more of the same. Meanwhile, the voice of God--unheard amid the clamor of our possessions--is telling us that even if materialism did bring happiness in this life, which it clearly does not, it would leave us woefully unprepared for the next life.

Everyone that I know who has read this book says it has radically changed their views about money & possessions. Has anyone out there read it? If so, I would love to be able to discuss with you ideas I find interesting. The reason I decided to start reading is because if the (seemingly) ongoing struggle I/we have had with money. It seems like a monkey always on my back. I thought that maybe I have had the wrong perspective all along about money & possessions and if I could change that perspective, I could better live in light of the eternal instead of the temporal. Like the first quote alludes to, when we learn about things like budgeting, debt reduction, frugality, and other financial principles without addressing how our beliefs and use of it relates to God's kingdom and our treasures in eternity, we have completely missed the boat. It's like mowing over the weeds in the yard, if you know what I mean. It won't do any good unless you address the root. If you have the "money monkey" on your back, maybe it is time for you to shake up your money beliefs as well!