My friend Rolf, who I met recently and is from South Africa, made an interesting observation of American life and culture. Not being a native to these parts himself, he has some qualified lenses to make some real observations about life here that we might not see as citizens immersed in our own culture. He hadn´t been here in a while, but this last visit, it was clear to him how much life in America is a culture of convenience.
I think he´s totally right.
Drive up ATMs, banks, delivery, take-out, fast food, fast casual restaurants, amazon.com, iphone apps...you name it. Some of these things can be good, useful tools...I'm not knocking all of them, I would some things, I'm just pointing out that the US is a saturated place for a convenience lifestyle.
As I got to thinking about this, I think it's true, but I also think it's unfortunate and sad that this cultural characteristic has snuck into the American church, and I would say is more widespread than we identify or care to admit. It's also not healthy I don't think.
The divorce rate within the American church around 50% is a statistic that supports this. When it gets hard or inconvenient, it's over. We'd rather not work hard or struggle in our marriage. This grieves God's heart intensely.
Rather than being missions, doing missions, it's very easy to give money to a non-profit. I've been struck by how true this is as I think more and more of it. I confess that I'm guilty of this way more than I want to admit. I'm not judging giving money or being generous to charities, those acts are great...but does Christ call us to something more?
The times in your life, when a) you've given money to a cause or b) you've sat down with someone and interacted with them when they are struggling, searching, or grieving...been an ear or served them or loved them unconditionally...which one gives a better sense of fulfillment to the whole situation?
Again, I am not criticizing giving money, especially if it is motivated out of a heart intention to support and love bringing about Christ's kingdom on earth.
Jesus wants more of us than what's convenient for us!
And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me."For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it."For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?" (Luke 9:23-25 NASB)
We live in a wealthy nation. That's fact. It's easy to give money. Yes, we're not all Bill Gates or Warren Buffett. I know. It's still easy to give money or divorce someone because things aren't working out.
As followers of Christ, I think we need to be acutely aware of the easy areas in our lives and guard against them disallowing us to serve Christ and be His hands and feet in this world.
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
7.07.2009
1.22.2009
11.04.2008
rethinking the "tithe"
I just finished a book that looked at American Christian giving through a sociological lens.
It was interesting. Americans are not very generous. 2.5% I think is the average giving across the board, somewhere around there. And the numbers are actually skewed, because a small minority of Christians give a lot that has an effect to bumb up the average. So basically, the average American Christian is really stingy in their giving, around the 1% of total income level.
Well, why?
I'll let you read the book to explore the possibles they brought up, I think some great points were made and discussed, and some I didn't agree with. But the fact remains. The idea of the "tithe" as we now have it is not working.
So it got me thinking. This might be a radically bold suggestion, but why don't we change the entire mentality of what "tithe" implies for an American Christian. Forget 10%. In fact, I don't think there's a direct Biblical basis for 10% giving. That's something that comes out of Deuteronomy and Leviticus, and the people involved actually ended up giving more than 10% of their possessions/money in a year's time. So, why not get rid of this somewhat off-base Scriptural mentality that is clearly not working.
Jesus' view and affirmation on tithing is different:
"As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." (Luke 21:1-4)
Nothing of 10% is mentioned or alluded to. Jesus affirms something beyond any set amount, and in fact, I think is affirming much more than just the monetary issue at hand. Jesus is emphasizing (through his affirmation) that we should be giving to where it makes us uncomfortable, at least in the wordly sense of the world. This woman was a widow. She didn't have the means and recourses to go out and get a job, nor a long time horizon to put her two coins in a 401k and watch her nest egg grow. I think she was able to, and did give because this widow knew her God was and was assured that He is Great Provider.
So in light of this, and other teachings throughout Jesus' ministry, we in fact should be giving a very large portion of ourselves and our finances. Which would add up to a lot more than 10%. Jesus gave all of Himself up for us, and we barely give more than 2.5% of our money!!, and money is only one aspect of our entire person!! don't forget our time, our relationships, our intelligence, our.....
So maybe the American church should start teaching something else. Who knows, maybe something like a "reverse" budget. You don't make a budget based on how much you earn, you figure out how much you need to fulfill basic living expenses in line with Scripture, and then the rest is given. Plan out how much you need for food, clothing, shelter, and paying taxes to Caesar, whose money it is anyway. And maybe throw in a dinner or two dining out with the wife or husband so you can have some quality fellowship time. The rest of the income goes to support Kingdom building work. Missions. Work that shares the gospel. Bible printing or translating or distribution. Hospital building. Building schools where the Gospel is taught. Meeting hands and feet needs in communities at home and abroad. There are a zillion ways the money of this world can be put towards Heavenly purposes.
"Well Hunter, that's just unrealistic" you might say. I don't think so. Don't get me wrong, giving more money for the sake of giving more is not going to do anything except make you poorer. Spiritually and materialistically. But people can get by and live joyously on not much money at all. You might have experienced this. Why do people in "third-world" countries seem so joyful and content when you interact or hear about them on missions trips? They certainly don't have 401ks, bank accounts, savings. They've got a lot of Jesus. So they might be "third-world" to the world as we know it, but they certainly aren't "third-world" to God.
I really do think we would serve ourselves, the church, and most importantly, Jesus, much better if committed time to sit down, study Scripture, seek the Holy Spirit, and really try to get a handle around the "tithe" that God really wants us to be sharing in our lives. Yes, it's going to be uncomfortable and challenging. But I think the reward on the flip side will be well worth the effort, and in doing so, I think we'll come to the conclusion that we'll want to be giving away much more than 10%.
It was interesting. Americans are not very generous. 2.5% I think is the average giving across the board, somewhere around there. And the numbers are actually skewed, because a small minority of Christians give a lot that has an effect to bumb up the average. So basically, the average American Christian is really stingy in their giving, around the 1% of total income level.
Well, why?
I'll let you read the book to explore the possibles they brought up, I think some great points were made and discussed, and some I didn't agree with. But the fact remains. The idea of the "tithe" as we now have it is not working.
So it got me thinking. This might be a radically bold suggestion, but why don't we change the entire mentality of what "tithe" implies for an American Christian. Forget 10%. In fact, I don't think there's a direct Biblical basis for 10% giving. That's something that comes out of Deuteronomy and Leviticus, and the people involved actually ended up giving more than 10% of their possessions/money in a year's time. So, why not get rid of this somewhat off-base Scriptural mentality that is clearly not working.
Jesus' view and affirmation on tithing is different:
"As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." (Luke 21:1-4)
Nothing of 10% is mentioned or alluded to. Jesus affirms something beyond any set amount, and in fact, I think is affirming much more than just the monetary issue at hand. Jesus is emphasizing (through his affirmation) that we should be giving to where it makes us uncomfortable, at least in the wordly sense of the world. This woman was a widow. She didn't have the means and recourses to go out and get a job, nor a long time horizon to put her two coins in a 401k and watch her nest egg grow. I think she was able to, and did give because this widow knew her God was and was assured that He is Great Provider.
So in light of this, and other teachings throughout Jesus' ministry, we in fact should be giving a very large portion of ourselves and our finances. Which would add up to a lot more than 10%. Jesus gave all of Himself up for us, and we barely give more than 2.5% of our money!!, and money is only one aspect of our entire person!! don't forget our time, our relationships, our intelligence, our.....
So maybe the American church should start teaching something else. Who knows, maybe something like a "reverse" budget. You don't make a budget based on how much you earn, you figure out how much you need to fulfill basic living expenses in line with Scripture, and then the rest is given. Plan out how much you need for food, clothing, shelter, and paying taxes to Caesar, whose money it is anyway. And maybe throw in a dinner or two dining out with the wife or husband so you can have some quality fellowship time. The rest of the income goes to support Kingdom building work. Missions. Work that shares the gospel. Bible printing or translating or distribution. Hospital building. Building schools where the Gospel is taught. Meeting hands and feet needs in communities at home and abroad. There are a zillion ways the money of this world can be put towards Heavenly purposes.
"Well Hunter, that's just unrealistic" you might say. I don't think so. Don't get me wrong, giving more money for the sake of giving more is not going to do anything except make you poorer. Spiritually and materialistically. But people can get by and live joyously on not much money at all. You might have experienced this. Why do people in "third-world" countries seem so joyful and content when you interact or hear about them on missions trips? They certainly don't have 401ks, bank accounts, savings. They've got a lot of Jesus. So they might be "third-world" to the world as we know it, but they certainly aren't "third-world" to God.
I really do think we would serve ourselves, the church, and most importantly, Jesus, much better if committed time to sit down, study Scripture, seek the Holy Spirit, and really try to get a handle around the "tithe" that God really wants us to be sharing in our lives. Yes, it's going to be uncomfortable and challenging. But I think the reward on the flip side will be well worth the effort, and in doing so, I think we'll come to the conclusion that we'll want to be giving away much more than 10%.
9.20.2008
take a deep breath, read Matthew 6, it's going to be OK!!
This past week was not somewhat, but very crazy on Wall Street and financially speaking for the USA. People's investments, home mortgages, and stock accounts were going all over the place. I overheard a guy talking about his stock account at Target last night, and his voice revealed an intense amount of concern and worry.
Hurricane Ike is gone, but yesterday and today has brought gas shortages, a.k.a. no more gas being sold all around Nashville. I'm not sure how many other parts of the country were affected by refinery outages. I went to a gas station today, and ended up being the last person to get some gas after waiting in line. The scene was crazy. Employees of the gas station running around frantically, trying to direct the line of cars, shouting out anxiously. The person filling up next to me was speaking about all that's going on in a noticeably concerned tone. Newspaper articles with the titles "panic" this, panic "that" related to no gas.
I don't want to sound insincere or critical of the anxiety and panic, and I know that many people's livelihoods, at least somewhat, are found in their stock portfolios and being able to buy gas and transport themselves to work where they get their paycheck, the major livelihood. I also recognize that I've been afforded incredible, beyond logical comforts in life that I don't deserve.
But please, take a deep breath people!! I lived in Argentina where these "worries" were a much more frequent and noticeable part of life...gas shortages, money shortages, government instability, and Argentines have learned to take them in stride. Things come and they go. I want Argentina to get better, very much so, but my point in writing about Argentina is that while they may not have things as "figured out" as America in terms of political and economic issues, they still live and have full lives. Not having gas or having a stock portfolio that is never going to go down or fluctuate wildly will not be the end of the world.
Once again, I know these things are important and have much meaning for a lot of people. At the gas station today, I was very close to weeping. I was deeply saddened by the anxiety and panic I saw in people's actions and words.
Oh that people of this nation and Nashville would know the fullness of you JESUS! and be able to cast away their anxieties and concerns!! "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Hurricane Ike is gone, but yesterday and today has brought gas shortages, a.k.a. no more gas being sold all around Nashville. I'm not sure how many other parts of the country were affected by refinery outages. I went to a gas station today, and ended up being the last person to get some gas after waiting in line. The scene was crazy. Employees of the gas station running around frantically, trying to direct the line of cars, shouting out anxiously. The person filling up next to me was speaking about all that's going on in a noticeably concerned tone. Newspaper articles with the titles "panic" this, panic "that" related to no gas.
I don't want to sound insincere or critical of the anxiety and panic, and I know that many people's livelihoods, at least somewhat, are found in their stock portfolios and being able to buy gas and transport themselves to work where they get their paycheck, the major livelihood. I also recognize that I've been afforded incredible, beyond logical comforts in life that I don't deserve.
But please, take a deep breath people!! I lived in Argentina where these "worries" were a much more frequent and noticeable part of life...gas shortages, money shortages, government instability, and Argentines have learned to take them in stride. Things come and they go. I want Argentina to get better, very much so, but my point in writing about Argentina is that while they may not have things as "figured out" as America in terms of political and economic issues, they still live and have full lives. Not having gas or having a stock portfolio that is never going to go down or fluctuate wildly will not be the end of the world.
Once again, I know these things are important and have much meaning for a lot of people. At the gas station today, I was very close to weeping. I was deeply saddened by the anxiety and panic I saw in people's actions and words.
Oh that people of this nation and Nashville would know the fullness of you JESUS! and be able to cast away their anxieties and concerns!! "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:25-34 NIV)
7.19.2008
denying monetary splendor
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:23-27 NIV)
As I wrote in my previous post, I have some ideas about how to incorporate living out ways to deny oneself when it comes to living abundantly for culture's sake, and live abundantly as a result of God's favor and grace upon our lives. These are suggestions to think about and maybe adopt, ways that can provide built in provisions for focusing on Christ and living for Him daily and avoiding the pull and draw to live by what culture tells us we should be doing.
These are not things meant for hardship nor denial of very real and practical dreams to be able to buy a house. The suggestions are meant to push a little bit, so that comfort levels are challenged in a positive and healthy way with the hopeful effect of drawing closer to Christ. These are not ideas meant just for the sake of giving things away and finding favor in doing so. The importance of decisions like this is the heart of the matter. Some people are very disciplined and don't need systems to live by. They are very graceful with their monetary gifts and it's not something that is a struggle in their life. I know myself however, and I know I need a practical system to lay out and then follow, to get in the habit of doing. I suspect there might be others out there in a similar boat. So the ideas:
idea #1
if you are married, and there are two salaried incomes, alternate living off of one income each month. 2 incomes, 2 people, living as 1. Pushing the envelope a bit so that the two are more dependent on being one. Give the other income away as soon as it's paid. The spouse who's income is the "earner" income for the month gets to decide (obviously after united discussion and direction) where or who to give the money to. An aid organization or your church or missionaries overseas or a neighbor in need. There are plenty of places where money can be given to do positive things.
Say Bob and Sue decide to do this. Month #1, they decide to live off Bob's income, Sue gives the total amount of her income for month #1 away as soon as she gets here paycheck, and the couple decides where that money goes together (with Bob's preferences leading the conversation). For month #2, it's time to live off of Sue's income. Bob gives his away as soon as it comes in. They decide together, but this time it's Sue's leading and prompting to where the money goes.
idea #2
if you are single, give away your income every other month. As soon as it comes in. Have one month's income last for two months of expenses. Research aid organizations or missionary groups doing work overseas, local ministries, an area that captures your passions and you have a desire to serve and support. Ya, this may involve looking for coupons or having to cut back on certain expenses. Maybe not upgrade to a new phone until the one you have now breaks. Loans may take longer to pay back, but instead of "well, I'll be fruitful when I become financially sound" it's important to adopt principles and habits of focusing not on money and wealth acquisition, but rather seeing money as an incredible opportunity to serve others.
idea #3
if you have a job that allows it, work as long as it takes in a month to earn 110% of your expenses for the month. This after sitting down and looking at realistic (erring on the side of not spending as much) expense outlays for the month. If you have, say, $2000 in expenses for a month, earn $2200 for the month, and then take the rest of the month off to go and serve people in the community or at your church or go and love on your wife extra (if you are blessed to have one). This idea would be harder to do obviously because most jobs wouldn't allow for this type of set-up.
These ideas may sound crazy and somewhat radical, but are they really?
How much is enough?
Is it crazy to adopt an operational living mindset such as the ones mentioned or something different from those where you intentionally build into your life a system where in effect, you are denying yourself and culture's way to live, and not seeking that "all-important" acquisition of wealth?
One can live, and live very well with not much money. There are billions of people who exist on less than two dollars a day. We earn more than $60 a month. We earn more than that in a day. Some earn more than $60 an hour. Sitting down, budgeting, and planning out finances and expenses can go a long way towards being intentional about living for God 1st and not falling into the trap of culture's goals for our finances and pursuit of wealth.
My point is that we can examine ourselves and our finances to push ourselves to where we are intentionally seeking more of God and denying the easy temptation to pursue earthly riches. Having a crafted and thought out system to follow and be disciplined with helps immensely.
As I wrote in my previous post, I have some ideas about how to incorporate living out ways to deny oneself when it comes to living abundantly for culture's sake, and live abundantly as a result of God's favor and grace upon our lives. These are suggestions to think about and maybe adopt, ways that can provide built in provisions for focusing on Christ and living for Him daily and avoiding the pull and draw to live by what culture tells us we should be doing.
These are not things meant for hardship nor denial of very real and practical dreams to be able to buy a house. The suggestions are meant to push a little bit, so that comfort levels are challenged in a positive and healthy way with the hopeful effect of drawing closer to Christ. These are not ideas meant just for the sake of giving things away and finding favor in doing so. The importance of decisions like this is the heart of the matter. Some people are very disciplined and don't need systems to live by. They are very graceful with their monetary gifts and it's not something that is a struggle in their life. I know myself however, and I know I need a practical system to lay out and then follow, to get in the habit of doing. I suspect there might be others out there in a similar boat. So the ideas:
idea #1
if you are married, and there are two salaried incomes, alternate living off of one income each month. 2 incomes, 2 people, living as 1. Pushing the envelope a bit so that the two are more dependent on being one. Give the other income away as soon as it's paid. The spouse who's income is the "earner" income for the month gets to decide (obviously after united discussion and direction) where or who to give the money to. An aid organization or your church or missionaries overseas or a neighbor in need. There are plenty of places where money can be given to do positive things.
Say Bob and Sue decide to do this. Month #1, they decide to live off Bob's income, Sue gives the total amount of her income for month #1 away as soon as she gets here paycheck, and the couple decides where that money goes together (with Bob's preferences leading the conversation). For month #2, it's time to live off of Sue's income. Bob gives his away as soon as it comes in. They decide together, but this time it's Sue's leading and prompting to where the money goes.
idea #2
if you are single, give away your income every other month. As soon as it comes in. Have one month's income last for two months of expenses. Research aid organizations or missionary groups doing work overseas, local ministries, an area that captures your passions and you have a desire to serve and support. Ya, this may involve looking for coupons or having to cut back on certain expenses. Maybe not upgrade to a new phone until the one you have now breaks. Loans may take longer to pay back, but instead of "well, I'll be fruitful when I become financially sound" it's important to adopt principles and habits of focusing not on money and wealth acquisition, but rather seeing money as an incredible opportunity to serve others.
idea #3
if you have a job that allows it, work as long as it takes in a month to earn 110% of your expenses for the month. This after sitting down and looking at realistic (erring on the side of not spending as much) expense outlays for the month. If you have, say, $2000 in expenses for a month, earn $2200 for the month, and then take the rest of the month off to go and serve people in the community or at your church or go and love on your wife extra (if you are blessed to have one). This idea would be harder to do obviously because most jobs wouldn't allow for this type of set-up.
These ideas may sound crazy and somewhat radical, but are they really?
How much is enough?
Is it crazy to adopt an operational living mindset such as the ones mentioned or something different from those where you intentionally build into your life a system where in effect, you are denying yourself and culture's way to live, and not seeking that "all-important" acquisition of wealth?
One can live, and live very well with not much money. There are billions of people who exist on less than two dollars a day. We earn more than $60 a month. We earn more than that in a day. Some earn more than $60 an hour. Sitting down, budgeting, and planning out finances and expenses can go a long way towards being intentional about living for God 1st and not falling into the trap of culture's goals for our finances and pursuit of wealth.
My point is that we can examine ourselves and our finances to push ourselves to where we are intentionally seeking more of God and denying the easy temptation to pursue earthly riches. Having a crafted and thought out system to follow and be disciplined with helps immensely.
7.15.2008
monetary splendor
"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
(Mark 10:29-31 NIV)
These words from Jesus spoken to his disciples come right after the encounter Jesus has with the rich young ruler. This young wealthy man goes away heartbroken at Jesus' request to go and sell all he has and give it to the poor. It wasn't the act itself I don't think that troubled the young ruler, it was Jesus' request to radically change his life's outlook and what his identity was about that discouraged the young ruler so much. This man had amassed wealth and was used to his time and focus being spent pursuing capital gains. This young man was familiar with a center point to pursue money. I can imagine his relationships, friendships, times of worship, even while faithful and honoring (as the Bible states), fit into, and were pocketed around this greater pursuit: money.
Hmm. I think the connection to nowadays and this rich young ruler is easy to make. I know I am guilty of this. Our lives are oriented such that our schedules revolve around work. Think about if you heard about some guy who's primary focus in life was relationships. This hypothetical guy isn't necessary a slouch, but very much values relationships over monetary pursuits. "Umm, ya, sorry bossman, I know I've missed 45 days this year already, but I'm not going to come in Wednesday or Thursday, one friend is ill and another is going through some difficult struggles in his marriage, so I am going to go and serve them and love on them." This "radical" guy wouldn't have a job long in our culture.
Jesus, in His words of this passage, starts by saying "I tell you the truth." I think that's enough right there to stop and really listen to what will come next. He says, leave all those things culture places a value upon and PURSUE ME. PURSUE WHAT I HAVE FOR YOU. Don't spend your life, the wonderful gifts and talents I have gifted you with, to pursue such a false idol - money.
Whoa there now Mr. crazy blog writer. At the very least, you need money to buy food and clothes and provide shelter for a family, that's how our world works! Duly noted. Money is a necessary evil to live in the world we live in today. But, I want to make the point that there seems to be an oversaturation of the pursuit of money. In my life, I know, I need a greater pursuit of God, and less reliance on money or the security I think it brings me.
More faithfulness in God, less reliance on money.
Money really is a false sense of security. After all, money is just paper, and it burns up pretty fast. Don't believe me? A good exercise would be to take a dollar bill and just light it on fire. I bet a lot of us would have trouble even just burning up $1. Wealth goes away. Economies fail and go through times of crisis. You could go to sleep one day having a million bucks in the bank, and then wake up the next day and have $10 in the bank. God's sovereignty and faithfulness will outlast any length of time money could offer for sovereignty and faithfulness.
I feel like money in its current form is overrated. Money could just as well be chickens instead of paper. Money attempts to convey power and value in our world. That would leave Warren Buffett to be replaced by Colonel Sanders. If chickens were our money, one's wealth would continue to multiply if chickens were money, a lot of people would like that. But chickens are messier and die much easier and are bulkier to carry, so paper was a better choice for money.
I think we can really believe the promise Jesus gives us in this Mark 10 passage. This "truth" that He intentionally tells us. Leaving what is familiar and known to us in life (our lives set up to pursue monetary gain) to seek Jesus and the gospel will return to us IN THIS PRESENT AGE (before we die), a hundred times more than what we know now. We also get the incredible joy of eternal life!
Please note, I am not advocating anything like, "you put a dollar in to the offering plate, you get 10 back in less than a month!" Jesus' words in this passage refer to the richness and splendor in relationships and life contentment that will come back to one who pursues Christ as their primary pursuit.
Would that be too radical to live out? Trusting in God's faithfulness more, denying money's sense of worth and its much lesser ability to complete and provide for us than what the Holy Living God can give us?
I'm going to end here, to let thoughts saturate and mull over in our minds, and then I'm going to post some suggestions that might serve as practical "how to"s to live this pursuit of God more and money less.
(Mark 10:29-31 NIV)
These words from Jesus spoken to his disciples come right after the encounter Jesus has with the rich young ruler. This young wealthy man goes away heartbroken at Jesus' request to go and sell all he has and give it to the poor. It wasn't the act itself I don't think that troubled the young ruler, it was Jesus' request to radically change his life's outlook and what his identity was about that discouraged the young ruler so much. This man had amassed wealth and was used to his time and focus being spent pursuing capital gains. This young man was familiar with a center point to pursue money. I can imagine his relationships, friendships, times of worship, even while faithful and honoring (as the Bible states), fit into, and were pocketed around this greater pursuit: money.
Hmm. I think the connection to nowadays and this rich young ruler is easy to make. I know I am guilty of this. Our lives are oriented such that our schedules revolve around work. Think about if you heard about some guy who's primary focus in life was relationships. This hypothetical guy isn't necessary a slouch, but very much values relationships over monetary pursuits. "Umm, ya, sorry bossman, I know I've missed 45 days this year already, but I'm not going to come in Wednesday or Thursday, one friend is ill and another is going through some difficult struggles in his marriage, so I am going to go and serve them and love on them." This "radical" guy wouldn't have a job long in our culture.
Jesus, in His words of this passage, starts by saying "I tell you the truth." I think that's enough right there to stop and really listen to what will come next. He says, leave all those things culture places a value upon and PURSUE ME. PURSUE WHAT I HAVE FOR YOU. Don't spend your life, the wonderful gifts and talents I have gifted you with, to pursue such a false idol - money.
Whoa there now Mr. crazy blog writer. At the very least, you need money to buy food and clothes and provide shelter for a family, that's how our world works! Duly noted. Money is a necessary evil to live in the world we live in today. But, I want to make the point that there seems to be an oversaturation of the pursuit of money. In my life, I know, I need a greater pursuit of God, and less reliance on money or the security I think it brings me.
More faithfulness in God, less reliance on money.
Money really is a false sense of security. After all, money is just paper, and it burns up pretty fast. Don't believe me? A good exercise would be to take a dollar bill and just light it on fire. I bet a lot of us would have trouble even just burning up $1. Wealth goes away. Economies fail and go through times of crisis. You could go to sleep one day having a million bucks in the bank, and then wake up the next day and have $10 in the bank. God's sovereignty and faithfulness will outlast any length of time money could offer for sovereignty and faithfulness.
I feel like money in its current form is overrated. Money could just as well be chickens instead of paper. Money attempts to convey power and value in our world. That would leave Warren Buffett to be replaced by Colonel Sanders. If chickens were our money, one's wealth would continue to multiply if chickens were money, a lot of people would like that. But chickens are messier and die much easier and are bulkier to carry, so paper was a better choice for money.
I think we can really believe the promise Jesus gives us in this Mark 10 passage. This "truth" that He intentionally tells us. Leaving what is familiar and known to us in life (our lives set up to pursue monetary gain) to seek Jesus and the gospel will return to us IN THIS PRESENT AGE (before we die), a hundred times more than what we know now. We also get the incredible joy of eternal life!
Please note, I am not advocating anything like, "you put a dollar in to the offering plate, you get 10 back in less than a month!" Jesus' words in this passage refer to the richness and splendor in relationships and life contentment that will come back to one who pursues Christ as their primary pursuit.
Would that be too radical to live out? Trusting in God's faithfulness more, denying money's sense of worth and its much lesser ability to complete and provide for us than what the Holy Living God can give us?
I'm going to end here, to let thoughts saturate and mull over in our minds, and then I'm going to post some suggestions that might serve as practical "how to"s to live this pursuit of God more and money less.
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