This is another hot topic, maybe more in the
culture around us than in the church. And perhaps we ought to take more notice
of it. We tend to like to talk more about what we’re using or wearing than
about how much we spend on it. The Western cultures today are richer than any
societies in the history of the planet. Never before have more people had so
much. And still the “poor are with us.” And still they starve in our streets.
Shopping is all too often seen, not as a way of
obtaining necessities, but as a hobby in itself; something fun to do on a free
afternoon or even in time that ought to be spent otherwise. The average person
spends more time shopping than volunteering for community service or
participating in religious activities. Consumerism is rampant in our developed
societies, and the developing ones are following in our footsteps as fast as
they can. As Christians, we ought to ask ourselves whether consuming or conserving is actually what God has
called us to do. Does a steward consume His master’s goods, or use them as the
Master would specify?
What did Jesus do? First, He appears to have had no money of His own at all. Jesus did
not even have a house of His own, or a business, though He may have been expected
to take over Joseph’s carpenter shop. He did not collect clothes or things, but
gave His life to ministry, serving God’s purpose and the needs of humanity. He
said that it is difficult for the rich to enter God’s kingdom (Matt.
19:24, Mark
10:25) and that one cannot serve both money and God (Matt.
6:34, Luke
16:13). From these things it is clear that money should make us at least
cautious. But does this mean He wants everyone to live in nomadic poverty,
subsisting on the offerings of friends, such as the women and men who supported
Him? No, because He also clearly showed
His support for marriage and the creation of new
families, talked about building, but being wise about it (Luke
12:18; 14:28),
and even recommended making friends with “unrighteous mammon,” possibly with
some tongue-in-cheek attitude (Luke
16:9). Jesus gratefully accepted the gifts of those who supported His
ministry, as well as enjoying the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus at Bethany,
for example. So we can safely assume that not everyone is called to be a
wandering minister for God, but that we are all called to be ministers to
others with the goods God has entrusted to us. The practice of tithing is
designed to remind us of God’s ownership of all that we have. When we practice
tithing, we learn to live on less than 100 percent of what we earn. This is a
principle that Jesus was familiar with. He specifically mentions offerings and
generosity, publicly commending the widow who did not hold back anything for herself,
but gave the little bit she had. (Mark
12:41-44, Luke
21:1-4)
Questions to ask: Is my money dedicated first to
God, or first to myself? Do I serve my money, or does my money serve me? If I
had two dollars left, what would I do with them? In what ways can my money
build bridges to the ones around me for whom Jesus died? Do I really need all I
have? Do I ever buy just for the fun of having new things? How much of my
resources do I dedicate to the poor Jesus commended us to serve as if they were
Himself?
No comments:
Post a Comment