A Penny Saved
You might want to hold on to that jar of pennies on your shelf, because they may soon be a relic of the past, as U.S. President Donald Trump has instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to halt production of new pennies. It is a move that has frequently been considered in recent years, as it costs more to mint a penny than the coin is worth. Further, as prices rise and the use of cash and coinage decline, there is decreased need for the single cent denomination.
Analysis and eternal perspective: “Save your pennies!” You have likely heard the expression often, and it bears a truth found in Proverbs 13:11: “Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.” We as Jesus followers are instructed to be wise stewards of the resources entrusted to us—even a penny at a time! At the same time, God’s Word is full of reminders to avoid letting financial incentives drive our decision making. Hebrews 13:15 says it this way: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
The U.S. dollar has been around for 240 years—a relatively brief period of time in contrast to the broad arc of human history—and is in one sense simply the most recent in a long line of currencies. The dollar is a fiat currency in that it is no longer backed by a tangible asset—such as gold—but by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government. That said, it is the overwhelmingly dominant currency in the world, so decisions about its handling—yes, even decisions about the lowly penny—have an impact all around the world.
You, as a Jesus follower, may have an opinion about the minting of pennies. Maybe you are “pro-penny” or maybe you think it should have disappeared from circulation long ago. Either way, this story is a perfect opportunity to remind yourself that all you have comes from God and belongs to Him (Ex. 19:5, Ps 24:1, 1 Chron. 29:12). Contrary to our human instinct to hoard and protect as much as we can, it is actually an incredibly liberating way to live—fully dependent on God to provide, but also fully engaged in stewarding well all He has bestowed!
The following article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.