Buck Wild
Pt. 1 - Taming
I. Introduction
I know you don't know this but I have a ton of experience with horses. I know it isn't obvious but I am equine expert! Now, to be honest I have only ridden a horse about 3 or 4 times in my life but in my teen years I read every book in the Black Stallion, The Red Stallion Island Stallion Series, Black Beauty, Black Velvet, National Velvet and every other book about horses I could find. My library card was filled up with books like these and then I found Louis l’Amour. I believe I have read almost every book he ever wrote. These books coupled with the countless John Wayne, James Stewart, Gary Cooper, Clint Eastwood, Audie Murphy movies and the untold number of episodes of Gun Smoke, Bonanza and the Rifleman that I have watched, I surely have to be verified as a rootin tootin cowboy who is nothing less than an expert in horseflesh. Plus I slept at a Holiday Inn last night. Well maybe not. However, what I can tell you from all of these books and shows that you discover very quickly that although a wild horse may be the fastest horse, that does not mean that it’s the most productive horse. The wild horse was really undesirable to anyone that wanted to get stuff done. Cowboys were looking for reliable and consistent means of transportation and work. And although a wild horse may provide a flashy and fun to watch ride at a rodeo, the wild horse was not really welcome at the ranch or on the range when your life and livelihood was tied up in a good horse that you could count on and trust.
I have noticed that there is a parallel that can be seen with horses and our money. For the most part most of us want our finances to be consistent, stable, reliable and yet it seems for most of us our money anything but that. In fact, for most of us . . . our buck is wild. Out of control. Our money is the cause of stress, anxiety, and worry. All
you have to do is google money and stress and you find out some interesting things:
The APA’s latest Stress in America survey found that 72 percent of Americans reported feeling stressed about money at least some time in the prior month.
New data from Northwestern Mutual's 2018 Planning & Progress Study found that money is the No. 1 cause of stress among Americans, according to 44 percent of survey respondents. Money is more of a problem than either personal relationships (25 percent) or work (18 percent).
We are stressing out because nearly 80 percent of Americans said they have debt. More than 45 percent of them have debt over $10,000 and 5 percent of them are more than $250,000 in debt.
And just to show you an example of how out of control and buck wild our finances are I recently saw that the average American in 2019 spent $86.27 on Halloween Candy. That is $8.8 billion on Halloween Candy alone! On Average Americans spend $1200 annually on fast food. That is $50 billion on fast food annually. World hunger could be stopped for 3 years with that much money!
It is easy to see that our buck is wild!
Wild doesn't equal evil. The truth is there is nothing evil about money. Scripture is often misquoted when we say that money is the root of all evil. The Word says it is the love of money that is the root of all evil. So, money isn't evil, but make no mistake about it money is powerful. Take a listen to what Jesus says as He addresses the power of money.
Matthew 6:24 (CEV)
You cannot be the slave of two masters! You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
NLT - You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.
The King James Version says you can't serve both God and mammon which means wealth, riches, or treasure.
Jesus makes this statement about money being one of two masters after He has just made this statement:
Matthew 6:19-21 (CEV)
Don’t store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them. Your heart will always be where your treasure is.
This is the crux of the issue that I want to look at today.
An interesting parallel between horses and money is that in order for a horse to be useful and productive it must be tamed. A horse expert, like myself, knows this is called breaking a horse. Breaking a horse prepares the horse to be ridden or harnessed. The same is true for our money.
If you don't break your money, it will leave you broke.
Physically, emotionally and according to Jesus more importantly spiritually!
The implication from Jesus' statements is that there is a war going on for control. Either God or money can become a master or have control. It isn't both and, instead it is either or. Only one can be master which means that the other must submit. So, Jesus is saying either He is the master of our money or our money is the master of Jesus. Jesus tells us that where our treasure is our heart is. So, a winner must be chosen. A choice must be made. Paul even tells us in Colossians 3:1-2 - If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Jesus purposely, I believe, uses the Aramaic word mammon, which was a Syrian god of riches from Babylon. Babylon was built on the idea that we don't need God. We are self-sufficient. Jesus was saying that money tries to convince us that we don't need God! There is a spirit attached to it.
This is not a money issue, it is a mastery issue.
I submit to you that the reason our buck is wild is that most of us allow Jesus to be master of most areas in our lives. However, our money tries to push Jesus off the throne. It fights taming because it results in turning.
If we don't tame our money, then it will turn our heart.
Hear me today . . . You can’t claim submission to Jesus until you tame money! You can’t claim Jesus is master or Lord if He only sits on the throne in some areas. We talk about a battle for our soul. That is a reality, but we miss it if we don't understand that this is a battle for control. Who is in charge? I want you to go back and think about what Jesus says. He says you cannot serve God and money. You cannot. There aren't exceptions made here. Well some can and some can't. This guy is probably able to while this gal can't. No, He states it clearly . . . no one can serve God and money. It can't be done. In fact, Jesus says that if we become controlled by money, then we become loyal to it and despise God! This happens because our heart becomes turned towards the money. It becomes an idol. It literally becomes our God. This becomes a trust test. Our money tries to steal our trust. It tries to convince us that it will provide what only God can bring to us. Significance - people will respect me if I had more money. Satisfaction - I would be happy and content.
So, in order to serve God you must break or tame your money.
Make your money mind!
What does that mean? It means we take authority over it! We master it. We put it in its place. It is necessary, but it isn't our master. It doesn't have the final word. The buck has to stop being the place the buck stops. It is crucial but it isn't in control. We must have a higher authority ruling our life.
Before we talk about God's method of helping us train our money next week - the "G" Words and it isn't giving by the way - we must first wrestle with the mastery question! We must tame our money. We must establish authority over money which has a spirit of control attached to it! If we don't tame it, then we will never be able to train it because it will rise up in rebellion. We have to break this spirit and make sure we establish Jesus as Lord over everything! We don't fight this battle at the ATM we fight it at the altar. It is a spiritual battle that manifests itself in the natural! We must submit in this area. Or if you don't like the word submit then use the word surrender. We must come to this place that we say to Jesus whatever you say about my money, even if I don't like it, goes because you are Master and your ways are better!
Let me help you discover very quickly if Jesus or money has set up mastery in your life. I want you to think about how you have prayed recently about a problem in your life. When you prayed did you think if I just had more money this wouldn't be a problem? So, if you thought that then your trust is not really in God it is in money. Why do I say that? Because although money may be a solution it isn't the source.
