The Currency of ____________
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Let’s talk about money.
That’s never really a good way to start a conversation is it? Or to start a sermon? Most of us don’t like to talk about money, especially when it overlaps with religion. That’s why often when it is time for churches to approach this subject, the ministers take special care to approach it in a roundabout way—such as talking about the giving of time and talent with money added in at the end, almost as an afterthought.
The thing is, Jesus talked about money quite often, and in a very direct and open way. Money’s place in Christianity isn’t just about raising money to pay for the buildings, ministers and ministries. An unhealthy relationship with money can corrupt aspects of who we are, while a healthy view of money can become part of a deeper call to discipleship. Therefore, as members of The Church and disciples of Christ, it is also our responsibility to acknowledge and discuss the theological implications of money, even though it may be an uncomfortable subject.
In the video above I identified seven different lies we tell ourselves in regards to money. Keep in mind that these aren’t the only lies we tell ourselves about money, just seven I thought were important to recognize. All of us at times believe one or more of the lies about money, because each of these lies are built off of the warped and corrupted pursuit of something good.
The lie of scarcity comes from the unhealthy pursuit of security. We begin to believe there aren’t enough resources to go around, and our security depends on our own abilities and the size of our bank accounts.
The lie of happiness comes from the unhealthy pursuit of joy. We begin to believe we can “pay for our happiness” and that money can and will solve all of our problems.
The lie of freedom comes from the unhealthy pursuit of genuine freedom. We begin to believe if we have enough money we can go anywhere and do anything.
The lie of respect comes from the unhealthy pursuit of self worth. We begin to measure the worth of ourselves and the people around us by material possessions and outward signs of financial status.
The lie of power comes from the unhealthy pursuit of control. We begin to equate true power with the mirage of control and influence that money pays for.
The lie of love comes from the unhealthy pursuit of connection. We begin to believe that love is bought through financial and material gifts, and without money to support those gifts no one will love us.
The lie of guilt comes from the unhealthy pursuit of compassion. We begin to believe we have to give away everything we own because we don’t deserve what we have been given.
They become lies when the answer to each of those pursuits becomes “money” instead of “God.” To put it in biblical terms, this is when we enter the realm of idolatry—elevating the importance of money to surpass that of God. However, when we do this we actually give up the very thing we set out to pursue. For example, when money becomes the answer to our pursuit of freedom, we become chained to the need for more money and the very ideal of freedom. We trade one set of chains for another. We also give up some aspect of our relationship with God when we turn to money.
When we believe the lie of scarcity we lose our ability to trust in God.
When we believe the lie of happiness we miss the joy of Christ.
When we believe the lie of freedom we give up our freedom in Christ.
When we believe the lie of respect we forget the image of God present in each of us.
When we believe the lie of power we lose the power of surrendering to God.
When we believe the lie of love we turn away from the love of God.
When we believe the lie of guilt we ignore the blessings God gives us.
Money will damage our relationship with God the more we become consumed by it, but money can also become a tool to help us honor and strengthen our relationship with God. If we can transform our understanding and handling of money into a spiritual discipline, that discipline can help to support many of the calls God places on our lives. In the video above I mention five of those calls.
The Call to Surrender
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. -Matthew 6:21
God calls us to surrender in every aspect of our lives, and the hardest parts of our lives to surrender are the parts of our lives we value the most. Relationships. Occupations. Money. The verse from the book of Matthew above comes as part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, right after he talks about prayer and fasting, two well recognized spiritual disciplines. He speaks of money in this context as a second master competing for our hearts. Jesus recognized that if our heart sits in our wallets and purses then we can’t give our heart to God. If we can surrender our wallets and purses to God, then we will also be able to more fully surrender those aspects of our lives we believed were dependent on our finances.
The Call to Trust
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.” -Hebrews 13:5
As the verse from the book of Hebrews above states, God is a constant presence in our lives. We may turn away from God, but God will always be there to take our hand when we decide to reach out. Often we place so much value on money and the things we believe it can do that we begin to trust so much in our own finances—as well as our ability to build up those finances—that we no longer feel like we need to trust in God. But trusting in our own strength and finances is like trusting in a house built of straw. It can easily come crashing down, from health issues, or natural disasters, or any number of other crises. When we learn to place our trust in God over our trust in money, we have something to hold on to in these times of crises as they inevitably come. We have trust and faith in a God more powerful than anything we may face who will “never leave, nor forsake.”
The Call of Stewardship
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ -Matthew 25:21
The verse from the book of Matthew referenced above comes from The Parable of the Bags of Gold, where a master entrusts different numbers of bags of gold to each of three servants. The first servant gets five bags, the second gets two bags, and the third gets one “each according to his ability.” When the master returns, he discovers that the first two servants have invested their bags of gold in order to double the amount they were given. The third servant out of fear has buried his bag and done nothing with it, and because of this, he was called “wicked” and lazy” and thrown outside where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” In telling this parable, Jesus shows us that we are expected to take the blessings we receive from God, and use them responsibly. In this parable those blessings are specifically financial. God expects us to be good stewards of our money, using it to both support ourselves and serve those around us, working to serve the kingdom of God.
The Call to Generosity
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” -Mark 12:43-44
The verse above comes from a story in the book of Mark where Jesus and his disciples were watching a crowd of people putting money into the temple treasury. In this story, many of the rich people put in large amounts of money, then a poor widow came and put only two small copper coins in. Jesus raised this woman up over the rich because she gave sacrificially. She gave not out of obligation or for appearance sake, but out of generosity and faith in God. We are each called to generosity, and that means being free and open with our finances. It means supporting religious and non-profit organizations, causes and ministries we believe in, and our own neighbors with an open hand and open heart. It means giving generously for the kingdom of God.
The Call to Love
But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ -Luke 10:33-35
The Parable of the Good Samaritan found in the book of Luke is probably one of the most well known of all of Jesus’ parables. Jesus tells this parable in the context of “loving our neighbor as ourselves” ending with the question of “who was a neighbor to the broken and beaten man?” The Samaritan not only stopped to help the man who was just beaten by robbers, taking care of the man’s immediate needs, but the Samaritan also backed this financially by paying the innkeeper so the man could stay there and recover. The Samaritan used his money as a way to show love for his neighbor, and we are called to do the same. We are called to love unconditionally and sacrificially with all we are and all we have—including our finances.