And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.  Luke 16:9

The passage above is from the King James version where money was called "mammon."  Probably a good modern translation of the "mammon of unrighteousness" would be the money of this world.  Isn't it odd that JESUS is telling us to make friends with money? Not really.  HE just got done telling HIS disciples that the people of HIS kingdom are not very wise about it.  Guess what?  We still aren't!

The disclaimer is that we are not to seek after it, love it, or let it become our god!  Having said that, we are not to despise it, turn away from it or be fearful of it, either.  Agree?  OK.

How can we make friends with money and not fall into traps?  Easy.  The keyword here is "friend!"  Friends don't despise, turn away from or be fearful of one another, do they?  So, if we will make friends with money, we will not despise, turn away from or be fearful of it. And if it is our friend, it will not despise, turn away from or be fearful of us, either!  

So how do we make friends with money?  Several ways.  We will spend maybe a few weeks on Friday learning about this.  Here are some ways . . . 

Tithing

Taking care of family and friends

Giving to the poor

Investing in good ministry

Paying our bills

Now here is something that I have come to firmly believe.  Like other negative emotional issues we face, the concept we hold about money was probably established when we were quite young.  Our parents may have influenced us, either directly or indirectly.  In many cases, just like rejection, unforgiveness, anger, etc., we must be set free in our thinking.

So now we have an exercise . . .   Try for a moment to think back to your first understanding about money.  Maybe you were five or six.  Maybe there was some sort of trauma attached to it.  That's it.  Just take a moment.

Now think if that experience has given you a shaded view all these years concerning money.  If so, you may begin to see what has shaped your present difficulty.  As with all other "stinking thinking" ask FATHER to help straighten it out!

Remember, we are treading rough ground.  Please do not get the idea that we are to become $$$ focused.  It is actually just the opposite.  Many of us have such poor financial practices that we must spend way too much time messing with it.  This is time better spent on the Kingdom.  So dig in, look up, and let's get it right!