BFN Book Review: The Treasure Principle
Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving
By Randy Alcorn
BFN Book Reviews
Again, it is has been quite a while since I last wrote a BFN book review. And that’s too bad because I do enjoy reading books and I have actually read a number of titles (well, not just the titles but all the pages too) over the past few months. Anyway, I was poking around my good friend Brian’s office a few weeks ago and saw a book on his shelf that I’ve been meaning to read. So, I snatched it…no, not really, I was granted permission to borrow The Treasure Principle…and I did borrow it and I did read it.
What is this book about?
This book is not your typical personal finance book. You won’t find a step-by-step guide to get out of debt or save for retirement or any such thing. Rather, the purpose of the book is much more grandiose. This volume seeks to change the focus of basically your entire life. The back cover trumpets “Once you discover this secret, life will never look the same.” That secret revolves around giving and the joy that can be associated with it.
Who is the author?
Randy Alcorn has written a number of books, both fiction and non-fiction alike. Besides writing a few novels, his non-fiction works cover various topics including Heaven and stewardship. In fact, you have most likely heard of another one of his books, Money, Possessions, and Eternity. He is also the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries, whose two main goals are to teach the principles of God’s Word, emphasizing an eternal viewpoint; and to reach the needy in Christ’s name.
What are the best parts of the book?
This is a great little book – I have a lot of good to say about it. First, it is a small book and I found it to be well written. Those two combine to make it a very quick and enjoyable read. The principles discussed within are profound and thought provoking as well thus making it a worthwhile read as well.
The author discloses his main Treasure Principle and then backs it up with six keys to the treasure principle. Allow me to share them with you and touch briefly on each one.
Alcorn mentions that Jesus devoted 15% of His teaching in the Bible to money and possessions – more than heaven and hell combined! It therefore must be very important; in fact, it is central to our spiritual lives. Perhaps you have seen this quote from Jim Elliot: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” This sets the stage for the author to disclose his Treasure Principle:
You can’t take it with you – but you can send it on ahead
Treasure Principle Key #1: God owns everything. I’m his money manager
Consider these verses in support of key #1: The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it (Psalm 24:1). “The silver is mine and the gold is mine,” declares the LORD Almighty (Haggai 2:8). Remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).
Treasure Principle Key #2: My heart always goes where I put God’s money.
“Show me your checkbook, your VISA statement, and your receipts, and I’ll show you where your heart is.” The author suggests that, for instance, if you want to have more of a heart for spiritual things, say international missions, then allocate more of your money, maybe most of your money, to missions and your heart and your interest will naturally follow.
Treasure Principle Key #3: Heaven, not earth, is my home.
Where we choose to store our treasures shows where our hearts are. Are you storing them here on earth or up in heaven for your arrival there? In the book there is an hypothetical example of a person who lives in France but is visiting the US for three months. At the end of the three months, he will return home to France but will be unable to take anything back with him. Should he waste his time and resources filling his US dwelling with expensive furniture and such only to leave it all behind when he returns to France? Or should he send most of his money back to France? Remember, he who dies with the most toys, still dies. We will eventually leave this earth and when we do, everything we own here on earth will remain here on earth.
Treasure Principle Key #4: I should live not for the dot but for the line.
This key requires a bit of explanation. Consider the image to left. The dot represents your very brief life here on earth. The line, in contrast, represents your eternal life in heaven. Focus not on the short time you’ll spend here on earth but the very, very, very long time you’ll spend in eternity.
Treasure Principle Key #5: Giving is the only antidote to materialism.
The author contends that giving shifts our focus from us and from our stuff to God and also affirms His Lordship. Consider this quote from C.S. Lewis:
We are halfhearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. We are far too easily pleased.
We settle for a life of unsatisfying material possessions instead of focusing on heaven. The remedy for this is to shift that focus and the means to accomplish it is through giving.
Treasure Principle Key #6: God prospers not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving.
The author prompts you to consider why God has given us so much in our modern day society. Even those in the middle income levels in the US are drastically more wealthy than most people in history. Remember Jesus’ words:
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, 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
Alcorn states, “The more you give, the more comes back to you, because God is the greatest giver in the universe, and he won’t let you outgive Him, Go ahead and try. See what happens.” Have you ever asked God why He has given you so much? Consider this:
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion. 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 (emphasis mine).
There is a lot more to this book than just the Treasure Principle and its six supporting keys. For instance, Alcorn discusses a number of other corollary topics such as:
- Should you give now or save up to give more later?
- What about leaving a large inheritance to your children?
- Five minutes after you die, what will you wish you would have given away while you could have?
31 Radical, Liberating Questions to Ask God
Alcorn completes the book by presenting 31 questions to ask God surrounding your giving. These are some serious, thought-provoking, soul-searching questions here. Though the book is small and a quick read overall, you will spend a great deal of time on this last section if you wholeheartedly tackle each question. Here is but a taste of them:
6. Lord, I’m wondering: Why have You entrusted me with greater financial blessings that I once had? I guess I’ve assumed You’ve done it to raise my standard of living. But now I’m asking “Is it instead to raise my standard of giving?” …
8. Lord, I’ve sometimes wondered why You’re not blessing me more financially. Could it be that I’ve been spending money on myself first, rather than giving You the firstfruits of what You’ve provided?
What is not-so-good about the book?
There is not much to complain about in this book, actually. It’s well written, thought-provoking, a quick and enjoyable read. It even has the 31 questions to go through as an exercise if you like books with steps to accomplish. I guess the worst thing is that it might challenge you to change the way you live…and most people aren’t comfortable considering such changes!
So what is my recommendation?
This is a great little book and definitely worth a read. In fact, I’m putting it into my virtual bookshelf of must-read books. Remember, this is not a step by step how-to book. This book might be one that you want to purchase and keep handy so you can periodically pick it up. If you feel like you are getting off track, you can read a bit to remind yourself about the treasure principle.
The book is a lot more than just the keys I listed above. There are many worthwhile anecdotes, quotes, and explanations stuffed into its small binding. I’ve mentioned multiple times that it is a small book but there is so much in here. I’ve spent more than 1500 words describing it and have barely scratched the surface of its supporting material. I think the best way to put it is that the book is “dense.” Read it!
Want to borrow this book? Search your local library
Want your own copy? Buy this book now at Amazon.com
Check out the books I’ve chosen for my virtual bookshelf
Weekly Bible Verse – He is Risen!
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NLT)
A few days ago, we remembered Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified and died for each of our sins about two-thousand years ago. On that day, I shared with you the first part of Romans 6:23 reminding us all that our sin produces eternal separation from God. Yesterday, we celebrated Easter – the day that Jesus defeated death and actually rose from his grave! Easter enables me to share the rest of the story, as it were. Yes, it is true that sin produces death, but Jesus has overcome this. Now, it is also true that God, though Jesus, has provided for us the free gift of eternal life with God in heaven!
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (NLT)
Of course, you have to receive a gift and Romans 10:9 tells us how to do that. While it is true that God provides us this free gift, it is still remarkably hard for some to simply accept it. I think this second verse tells us why – because you have to confess that Jesus is Lord and our pride typically makes is very hard to do this. Dictionary.com shows the definition of lord as “a person who has authority, control, or power over others; a master, chief, or ruler.” It is very difficult for a person to cede that authority and control to someone else, even if it is God. Thus many people end up “doing” stuff to gain God’s favor so that they can earn eternal life. They want the life, they just also want the control. Unfortunately, you can’t have both.
Furthermore, you also have to believe that God raised Jesus from the dead which is certainly a fantastic claim. Getting into the details of all the claims against and evidence for the resurrection is a discussion for another forum. Personally, I do believe that it did occur and that it was an amazing, supernatural, out-of-the-ordinary event. Then again, is a God worthy of worship and praise if He can’t accomplish the fantastic supernatural every once in a while?
I leave you with what I found to be a very profound quote that speaks directly to this topic:
“The evidence for Jesus’ resurrection is so strong that nobody would question it except for two things: First, it is a very unusual event. And second, if you believe it happened, you have to change the way you live.” Wolfhart Pannenberg
God bless, accept the Gift, and have a great week…
Bonus Weekly Bible Verse – The Wages of What?!
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Romans 3:23 (NLT)
For the wages of sin is death Romans 6:23a (NLT)
If you look at the story painted by these two Bible verses, it is not a pretty one. First, “everyone” sins. Everyone. Not only that guy sitting in prison, but also me. Also you! We all fall short of the standard that God has set for his creation.
So we all sin, so what? So, our just reward for sin is death, that’s what! Everyone dies, so what does “death” mean in this verse. Death means eternal separation from God. You may have heard it referred to as “the second death.” Everyone dies here on earth where we proceed to heavenly judgment. If you fall short of the mark there, then you’re in real trouble and you get to experience the rest of eternity absent from God.
Remember, the earth right now is a fallen place, it is messed up because of Adam’s original sin; this is not the way things were meant to be. That being said, the world still has people in it who love God, people who are imbued by the Holy Spirit. God still works in this world. And if you think our world is bad now, can you imagine what a place would be like that is completely separated from God or any of His influence?
Today we remember the day that Jesus was crucified. It was maybe the darkest day in the history of creation. It happened in part because of the two verses above.
To be continued…
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