Help! My Money is Getting Smaller

No doubt the hot topic of late has been the rising cost of living in Malaysia. From chicken to prawns and eggs – all the usual Chinese New Year delicacies – this popular topic of how our money is getting smaller was sure to have come up with friends and family over the holidays. Did you end up starting a conversation that led to sharing about your faith then?

In December 2021, Malaysia’s inflation rate was reported to have increased by 3.2%, leading to a price hike in food and essential goods. Nonetheless, the issue is global, as soaring prices seem to be hitting many countries as part of post-Covid recovery. How then, are Christians supposed to live out our call to trust God and be generous amidst this financial reality?

Here are three healthy perspectives about money to consider:

1. Money has a very real and useful role in modern life, and there is nothing wrong with working hard and saving wisely. But instead of letting money rule our decision-making process, why not hand over the burdens of these decisions to God? Then, our plans will be established (Proverbs 16:3), including our lifestyle decisions when we walk in-step with God.
2. Money is a tool but have we focused too much on it being a means, rather than an end? Money is temporary; it comes and it goes, and it is never to be trusted! Therefore, if we put our faith in something fluid that can fluctuate – deflate and inflate – we are sure to be disappointed. While it may seem like money provides for us, in actual fact, it is God who will meet all our needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
3. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenged the people of His generation – rich and poor alike – to recalibrate their value systems, that is, to not accumulate riches but to pray for “our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Herein lies a clear call to trust God wholeheartedly each day, no matter what the future holds, especially when it would seem like our “nest eggs” are getting smaller and becoming beyond our reach.

In God’s grace, we can cultivate a healthy perspective towards money and adjust our value systems – one that keeps Him, and not our cheque books or e-wallets – as the Master of our lives. Our hope is in God – who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment – and not in our wealth.

Do you know someone who will benefit from the Christian perspective of money? Download this PDF booklet ‘Money, Why is it Never Enough?’ and share it with them.

About the Author

Wan Phing Lim is a contributor to Our Daily Bread Ministries Malaysia. Born and raised in Penang, she studied Politics before turning to a career in writing. She loves coffee, books and films.

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