How Much Money Do You Need To Be Happy? - Quiet Time 281210

Yesterday morning, I asked my best-friend a very interesting question; "How much in monetary value does someone need to be happy?" She answered me and said, "It depends on the individual and his/her present situation." So I asked her, "In your own situation, like how much money do you need to make you happy?" And she promptly replied, "Let's say about N100m (a hundred million naira which is almost a million dollars). I then asked, "Do you have N100m?" "No!" She said. "But are you happy now?" And she answered in the affirmative. This immediately showed her that she didn't need that amount of money to be happy.
Yes, we need money to meet our needs. If you need a bottle of coke you need at least 50naira to buy it and if you need a piece of landed property in Yaba, you'll need at least 25 million naira to buy that.

So what does it take to be happy?

Hebrews 13 vs 5 NKJV
"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

The key to happiness in life is CONTENTMENT and TRUST IN GOD.

Here are a few things I've learnt, acted on and seen the evident results in my life with regards to finances and business from the bible.

Matthew 25 vs 14-30 NKJV
14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man travelling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
(Firstly, we must recognise that God delivers his goods to his own servants; people that are committed to living for His purpose.)

15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
(Take note that each servant was given a different amount of money according to his ability. It is important that we increase our ability to earn by learning to do what we've learnt because it is by this ability that our earnings will be determined)

16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.
(It is very interesting what happened here in verse 18 with the man with one talent. He didn't learn what to do and act on what he had learnt; He refused to learn to do. If he had asked the other two servants what and how they traded and made five more talents and two more talents respectively, he would have acted on what he had learnt and traded with his one talent and made one more talent. He would have ended up with two talents which is where one of the other two servants started from. Now, if he takes the two talents and gains two more by trading, he would have ended up with four talents. Now for him to have five talents like the first servant, all he had to do was take one talent from his four talents and repeat what he did when he started out with just one talent and then gained an extra talent. This he would have done and he would have had five talents with him. He would have gone ahead to trade with the five talents and gained more. Anytime a man gains more by trading, his ability is increased. It is important however to be content at all times and to trust God in every step of the way.)

19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ 26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
(The two servants that gained more talents were called "good and faithful" while the servant that did not gain anything was called "wicked and lazy."
The talent was collected from the servant with one talent and given to the servant with ten talents. To him that has more will be given and to him that does not have, even that which he has will be taken away from him. The man who has is the man that gains more to what he had and the man that does not have is the man that does not gain more to what he had. This man will eventually lose what he had that he refused to gain more with.

I am convinced beyond any doubt whatsoever, that the Word of God is man's code book to life.

ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS ACT ON WHAT WE LEARN!!!