Making Better Change

Do you know why coins have ridges?

It goes back to when coins were made from precious metals and a practice known as coin clipping. Coins that were made of precious metals -- gold and silver, had intrinsic value beyond their stated denominations. You could shave a bit off the edge of a coin, keep the clipped-off piece for yourself, and use the almost-complete coin in a subsequent transaction. Over time the coins would shrink to a point that they would be no longer useful as currency. This practice also made it very easy to counterfeit coins since the size was prone to shrink. The ridges help to stop coin clipping.

The idea came from none other than Isaac Newton, the famed physicist that articulated the rules around gravity, force, motion, inertia, etc. The part of the tale that I want to focus on however is why it was Newton.

The idea came toward the end of his career when Newton was Warden of the Royal Mint. This position was, typically, considered ceremonial government honors for those citizens who had already aspired to greatness -- not a role with real responsibilities. However, Newton saw a real problem and was in a place to make a difference, so he acted. A lesser man might not have bothered as he did not have to do anything but Newton was not a lesser man.

I wish we had more people that acted like Newton. Too many people think, “It’s not my problem” or “That’s not my responsibility” when they see a problem. How much better would it be for us to be solvers than avoiders? People will go to greater lengths to complain about an issue that it would have taken much less effort to just take care of. Many see the need yet few are willing to fill the need.

In the kingdom of God, we need less watchers and more workers. People who, rather than shrink down, stand up and out. What problem is the church facing today that you might be able to solve if you just decided to act?

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Ecclesiastes 12:10

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