When my older son got his first paycheck, he was appalled they took out
taxes. “There must be a mistake,” he cried, but he learned an important lesson
that day. My first paycheck was over 45 years ago, making $64.00/week, a summer
job working for the Union County Park Commission, if you don’t count my paper
route or money from cutting yards or shoveling snow. But my next paycheck came
in the form of not a paycheck, but in cash, when I worked for Sears. On
Fridays, the line was long at the cashier, as all the employees were in line to
get paid, in cash. We were handed an envelope without name on it, and a slip
inside telling our gross, the taxes taken out, and the net due. It was neat to
handle the $40 or so in cash, enough to spend a little bit of it and put the
rest in the bank. And I was surprised there was never a robbery as all this
cash was sitting right there, under little or no security. And I learned how
each person handled his own cash. Many of them went to lunch and had a few
drinks, which was popular at the time. Some spent too much, taking home very
little for their families after lunch and a trip to the motorcycle store. Or
clothing department, or shoes, or whatever. The first one they saw got their
cash, and the rest went home for real expenses like food and rent. I’m sure a
big change in family finances took place when we got paychecks and had to go to
the bank, no direct deposit existed yet. And wives found out how much their
husbands really made, and both bars and bike shops surely felt the effect. And
so it was with paychecks, usually distributed on Friday, with a whole weekend to
recover from “I wonder where the money went.”
But an unusual side effect of Friday paydays was if you were scheduled to
work Saturday, many called in sick or were hung over. Saturday was always a
day, or any day after payday, was always a big day of absenteeism. With many
businesses wondering how to combat the lack of workers the day after pay day.
When working for Motorsport in Albuquerque, they had a unique and successful
answer. They still paid by check, but did it on Saturday, at closing at 530
pm. No ATM’s like now, and with no banks open, they kept enough cash handy to
cash checks for those who wanted it. For those who like in the days of cash in
the envelope were subject to whoever got between them and home that night. But
with one benefit for Motorsport. Being closed on Sunday, Monday absenteeism was
almost non-existent, their employees having had a full day to do whatever and
recover by Monday morning. I always admired the thinking behind it, and was
careful to never cash my check there, as the temptations were strong. So I
always kept an extra $20 handy for the weekend, enough to fill my bike, eat, and
go out Saturday night. And then cash my check Monday. I had a plan, and like
their plan it worked for me. Call it pay on Saturday, work on Monday, and it
worked. And the only place I ever heard of or saw that did that. Much
different from my direct deposit check of today....and when was the last time
you actually went inside a bank to do business? Let’s hope you never forget
your PIN number, or that anyone else gets it. So each business or generation
has a plan, yet it is still up to the individual how he spends his money. Or
lack of it.
We work for money, not for goods or trade out. I have in the past done
some trade out, but find nothing else spends like cash. And money is not
necessarily a bad thing to have, but can become dangerous in the wrong hands.
We hear preached “money is the root of all evil,” and heads bob up and down in
agreement. Maybe the one thing they remember from church. But they are
spreading a lie, because the Bible never said that. Whoa, wait a minute, I
thought, and you thought wrong. Or heard wrong, or were taught wrong. Money is
NOT the root of all evil, but the love of it is. 1 Timothy 6:10 tells us “for
the love of money is the source of all kinds of evil. Some people eager for
money have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
When making money becomes your goal, to buy you things, you have entered into
all kinds of evil. I have seen and heard the excuses, “I need the money to give
to missions. To tithe with.” And how much of your check goes there? One time
while unemployed years ago, I asked a group of men one question. “Do you miss
the job or the paycheck?” Without fail, they all, we all missed the paycheck.
We may love our jobs, but would never do them without compensation. Money. A
paycheck. For the love of money. Because we all have needs, but we all also
have desires.
I find it fascinating that in times of depression or recession, gambling
increases. As do lottery sales. Many will pay for wants before they pay for
their needs. We may be out of food, but my BMW payments are up to date. I
still get my nails done, hair done, and need the new outfit. But when the money
is gone, the love of money to live the life chosen has brought ruin. They have
pierced themselves with many griefs, all of them all about me. Some will even
be heard complaining “I tithed, I gave to the church. Why is God doing this to
me?” And in their selfishness never saw God, he knew why they gave, and never
blessed their giving.
Jesus tells us it is more blessed to give than receive. To give with a
joyful heart, the Greek telling us to give hilariously. “Take it all, enjoy it
Lord,” being the attitude. I have seen men who are very rich stand up and give
a large sum anonymously. Yeah, right. I have seen churches give huge sums to a
mission, while the people starve around them. Proclaiming the amount and to
whom they gave it. Bringing them a shame they haven’t seen yet. But Jesus is
more impressed with why and when, rather than the amount. Which is why we see
the widow with two mites giving her all, and being blessed. She saw in Jesus
how he gave it all, and being urged by the spirit gave all she had. With only
God noticing her sacrifice. A form of worship, she gave all she had to a God
who had given all he had to her. Jesus gave us something we could never earn,
forgiveness, and salvation. No one or nothing else could buy our souls,
although many have paid a price and received death.
God admonishes us to be givers. Not only of our money, but of our time.
Our resources. Of ourselves. To minister as he did, meeting needs. And to see
how his grace is sufficient. How he meets all our needs in his riches and
glory. His riches and glory are Jesus Christ, and in him the poor never go
hungry, their children are never found begging. I don’t question his ways, I
am glad he is there for me.
One time when down and out, without food, a church gave us $20. We had
donated an answering machine to them, it was for sale, but we did as God had
shown us to do. We filled the shopping cart with food, and still had money left
over....only God can do that. A lesson I never forgot. You may draw a nice
paycheck, but it is God who will always meet your needs. You work, it is your
paycheck, and also how you spend it is up to you. But remember the love of
money, and more importantly remember what it cannot pay for. It will never
bring you closer to God, but can get between you and him. It may bring
happiness, but few times bring joy. Direct deposit may get money in your
account, but only Jesus can directly deposit you in heaven at death. And ask
yourself, what do you profit if you gain the world and its riches, but lose your
soul? And remember, how much did Henry Ford leave when he died? All. The same
amount the widow left, and that we will leave. Invest in your eternity today,
in Jesus. Pay it ahead like he did. And never have to worry about a payday
again. We all live paycheck to paycheck, it is our retirement in heaven that
only Christ can guarantee. The love of money or the love of Christ? What’s in
your wallet?
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com