Money and Time

We’ve probably all heard someone say that a person’s checkbook reflects their priorities; in other words, what they’re spending their money on shows what’s really important to them. I’ve heard this said by many people, and I’ve read this sentiment in several books and articles. But I think it’s important to emphasize a point that often gets overlooked. It’s not just how we spend our money that matters—how we spend our time is just as important.

If we only look at how people spend their money, we will never see the whole picture. A person’s spending habits may not give you a fully accurate look at what matters to them. Why? Because where people spend their time is at least as important as how they spend their money. And some people may only be able to give one or the other, not both. Here’s an example.

There may be people who have no money left over after paying their bills and feeding their families, so they don’t give money to charity. Does that mean the people helped by various charities are not important to them? That’s possible, but it could also mean their heart is for working with the poor, hungry, homeless, prisoners, terminally ill, foster children, etc, but they don’t have any extra money after paying their own bills, so they don’t give any money to charities—but they do give their time by volunteering. Where they spend their money doesn’t tell the whole story.

But only looking at how a person spends their time may not give you a fully accurate look at what matters to them, either. There may be people out there who give lots of money to charities but they spend no time working with the people who are in need. Does that mean they’re throwing their money at the issue but the individual people aren’t important to them? That’s possible, but it could also mean that they care deeply about helping people in need and they do not have a lot of extra time to volunteer, but they do have money to give. Where they spend their time doesn’t tell the whole story.

Both money and time are important. An organization (whether it’s a charity, church, or other outreach) cannot fulfill its purpose without people who give their money—but it also cannot fulfill its purpose without people who volunteer their time. Some people may be able to give both money and time, others may only be able to give one or the other, yet all who are giving are committed to the cause.