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The Book and its Topic
The Treasure Principle for Christians? That is surely wrong. We are supposed to be poor and supposed to hate money! If this is your way of thinking, you are wrong... I am sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you do not understand the Bible’s teaching on money.
According to Randy Alcorn, about 15% of all Jesus’ teachings were on money. That is more than double the amount of His teachings on heaven and hell combined! This is funny, right? He was supposed to teach us about Spiritual matters, seeing that He is the Son of God.
Think about this. Can it be, that money and what we do with it is central to the Christian faith? Randy shows you exactly that in his little gem called The Treasure Principle. I love it when I read a little book, and I am blown away by a huge, fundamental truth that we somehow seem to overlook when reading the Bible.
So, what is The Treasure Principle? It says “You can’t take it with you, but you can send it on ahead.” Jim Elliot, someone who lived a live that could only have been inspired by faith in Jesus Christ, said "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."
This leaves us with a problem. Now (finally?) we realise that as Christians we are still supposed to work hard and aim to earn lots of money. Jesus encourages this kind of life in the parable of the ten minas. The difference is that we should realise that all money belong to God.
We are not supposed to spend it on ourselves. We are not supposed to keep it. And guess what? God is closely watching us to see what we do with His money. Our actions today will have huge, eternal implications.
Eternal treasures... Now anyone with half a brain will realize that heavenly, eternal treasures is much more desirable than earthly riches that we will have to leave here when we depart.
Randy uses Scripture, clever illustrations, interesting quotes, and six Treasure Principle Keys to show us that we need to start thinking long term with our investment strategies. Not 30 years from now. 30 million years from now!
Every once in a while I read a book that makes everything in me shout “Every single Christian in the whole wide world should read this!” This book is one of those. The truth contained here is so important that whether you grasp and implement the truth it teaches will matter forever. And that is a long time my friend.
I want to go as far as to say, if you only read three books (in addition to the Bible) while you are on earth, please, please ensure that The Treasure Principle is one of them.
After extensively proving that giving money for God’s purposes will earn you eternal rewards, Randy goes on to show that true joy is the other spin-off of investing in God’s plans. Boy, this is only getting better...
You know what the sad thing is? The truths contained in The Treasure Principle are right here in front of us in the Bible. Yet, firstly, we do not think in this way, and secondly, very, very few people live this way. Are we playing here?
Please guys. Let’s start taking the Bible seriously and start living the way Jesus taught!
BookDisciple.com Power Quote
pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured
into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be
measured to you” (Luke 6:38).
the greatest giver in the universe, and He won’t let you outgive
Him. Go ahead and try. See what happens”
- The Treasure Principle, p. 73.
So, how does it read?
This is a small book, but it contains enough precious truth to keep you happy. It is not the quickest read I have ever seen, but it does come close. Nobody has an excuse. The book itself is only 96 pages, and it is a physically small book. Read it!
Randy also includes a section at the end of the book with 31 questions you need to discuss with God. Take these questions seriously and spend time in God’s presence to hear what He has to say on this topic. Who better to ask than your Creator?
What did this book mean to me personally?
When I first came across The Treasure Principle, it was while reading Randy’s other (much thicker and more difficult to get through) book called Money, Possessions and Eternity. It is an excellent book, and well worth reading since it covers the topic exhaustively.
But be warned. It is thick – almost 500 large pages of very small type.
It did, however, change my life! The idea of earning rewards in heaven has liberated me to become a giver. I am not wealthy, so I am not giving away millions. However, I always try to help when the opportunity presents itself. So much so, that I am often in financial difficulty because I am too eager to give money away.
Am I bragging? No. I am merely doing what Jesus teaches in Matthew 5:16. You need to show your good deeds to the world “that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16, NIV)
Conclusion
I do not get this excited about a book often. The Treasure Principle is one of those little treasures that you can buy in dozens. Read it. I beg you, and give away as many as you can.
If you want to be a book disciple, here’s a challenge for you: Give away ten copies of this book, and ask the people you give them to to discuss it with you after reading it. Over a nice cup of coffee of course...
Seriously people, this is one not to be missed. Read it. One day in heaven, I hope you will thank me for recommending it.
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