"We have an obligation to be responsible with our money." "The Bible says that we should be good stewards with our money." The list goes on and on for reasons why we don't give more to the poor; why we make all we can and can all we make. I have read the Bible and I cannot find any evidence, any passage where we are commanded to live responsibly. Imagine the conversation with the Rich Young Ruler: "One thing you lack, go, sell all that you have and give to the poor." "But Jesus, the Bible says that I should be a good steward and be responsible with my money. What you are asking me to do is not responsible." "Oh, you're right, sorry." Or imagine the parable of the man who built bigger barns going like this: "There was a man who had great wealth and instead of building bigger barns so that he could live responsibly, he gave away all of his money. Woe to him." Mark that in the list of things that Jesus will never say.
We are commanded to live a life that is contrary to human wisdom. We are called to rely and trust in God. After all, God takes care of the sparrows and the lilies of the field and so will he not take care of me? Think about those 2 stories - Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell all that he has and to give to the poor; he condemned the rich guy for tearing down his barns so that he could save more stuff. Somehow, in spite of these stories and the fact that the Son of Man had no place to lay his head, there are many who believe that it is foolish to not save more money.
If you don't save money and you die who will take care of your wife and children? If you don't have life insurance and you die, how will your family survive? You have an obligation to insure that your family is taken care of in case you die. At least, those are the things that I am told. Yet, in reading the Bible, I see no such commands. I have not read anything in the Bible that tells me I am the provider of my family, that I need to protect them against my death. What I do see is a God who commands radical obedience. I see a God who asks us to trust Him every step of the way. This will look different for every person because God has a different calling on each of our lives. However, something else that goes onto the list of things Jesus will never say is "You should have stored more money for yourself" or "Instead of giving money to the poor, to the orphans and widows, you should have bought life insurance so that if you died your family would be taken care of."
I am not calling for wasteful use of money. We should not spend all of our money on Browns tickets or TVs or technology or anything that moth or rust will destroy instead of saving - if you are going to waste it then by all means, save it. However, what if the Body of Christ actually believed God's promises that He will supply our needs and so that we give to the poor and the needy? What would the world look like if the Body of Christ actually gave its money away to those in need rather than putting it into a 401k or onto a life insurance policy? Imagine the impact that we would have. Jesus assures us that what we do for the least of these we do for Him. And what we don't do for the least of these we don't do for Him. Do we believe it? If so, do we live it?
2 comments:
I agree that God calls for radical obedience financially which doesn't usually look like the financial responsibility the world values. However, I believe that the Bible does teach financial responsibility. The Old Testament is full of examples of godly men making shrewd business dealings for the financial benefit of their families (Joseph, Abraham, Solomon). The apostle Paul was sure to work to support himself throughout all his missionary journeys to insure he would not be dependent on others. Part of his reasoning in not marrying and having a family is because he knew he would be required to bear the responsibility that may necessarily take away from his ministry. He says in 1 Timothy 5 that "Anyone who does not provide for his own relatives, and especially their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." Even Jesus on the cross established a plan for his mother after his death in making sure that John would care for her.
Being financially responsible does not always mean that we are trusting God less, as long as we are not trusting in these things for our security. Jesus says "where your treasure is, there your heart shall be also." I can assure you that, while I have a 401k and life insurance it is not where my treasure or heart are. We should give radically and store up our treasure in heaven but that doesn't require irresponsibility.
Nate
Nate, I agree with you. My main point is that we often use "responsibility" as a reason to not give more or at all. I imagine that those in the American church are not causing problems for giving too much. We don't understand the grace that was given to the church in Macedonia in II Corinthians 8.
All that said, I agree with you and I think that you state it well.
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