Time or Money

Which one is most important: Time or Money?

As a parent, which one is most important? Should you work overtime constantly in order to provide more money to your family? Or should you work a regular hours and spent more quality time with them?

As a friend, which one is most important? Do your friends care about whether or not you buy pizza or give them free rides in your car? Or do they care about hanging out with you?

As a church member, which one is most important? Does the church need your regular tithes and donations? Or is it more helpful to volunteer and work with the church and help people?

As a person that loves God, which one is most important? Does God care about your sacrifices and offerings? Or is He more interested in spending personal time with you?

I tend to think that time is the most important factor in each of these equations. That doesn't mean that I think that money is not important. Quite the opposite, I think that money is important and necessary. I just think that spending time with someone is more
beneficial to both us and the other people.

Granted, part of that assessment is that one of my love languages is time. (My other one is physical touch.) For those that have a love language of gifts, the meaning of gifts is much stronger to them and therefore money plays into that a bit more on an emotional side. Similarly, working overtime to provide for your family may be considered an act of service which holds a lot of significance as a love language.

Even so, I think that people in general want to know that others care about them as individuals. Donations are useful but have limited lasting value. Gifts are good but have little meaning from strangers. Money is good but it doesn't fix a broken friendship. Providing for your family is good but not at the expense of being there for your spouse and kids.

So my goal is people, not property. My goal is friendship, not fun. My goal is God, not goods. My goal is relationships, not riches.