My friend Kenny Jahng recently posted this question to twitter:
@kkcoolj Does the Church have any responsibility to teach its own brothers & sisters 2 treat THEMSELVES w/ financial accountability, responsibility?
From this we engaged in some conversation about the matter via twitter, but 140 character bursts won’t really add clarity to my position. Thus, this blog post was created to reinforce my views.
Kenny and I are on different sides of the fence on this issue. In actuality, he and most other people may be on the other side of the fence from me. However, I feel the church is not a classroom and we put off a lot of people when we plead with the church to listen to messages that have no relevance to them. Let me explain: I believe that the bride of Christ [Revelation 19:7] should be more concerned about matters of the kingdom than about personal shortcomings. I am not interested in programs and classes, instead I want people far from God to come to know that his people are open-minded, big-hearted, compassionate and operating under grace and mercy from above and no one is above the love of Christ or so far away that he won’t draw near to them.
Is being responsible with our finances a biblical principle? Absolutely! Proverbs 22:26-27 and Luke 16:1-4 are a key verse for me in this respect. Should the church share the Word of God in regards to money? Definitely. However, should the church make it a point to minister to people about money assuming that no one knows how to be good stewards of their finances? I don’t think so.
As bad as the economy is right now and with all of the defaults on mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, etc. know that there are still many people out there with perfect credit, stable employment and comfortable homes. Some even have much more in excess of their needs with no worries about making ends meet. Will talking to them at length about managing their finances really help them to know Christ and to be light to others that do not know Jesus eternally? I can’t connect the two. There is a place to talk about finances and money in context of the gospel, but becoming financial professors to the community at large isn’t what I believe the church was intended to do.
As a side note, what does financial freedom really do? In its basic form, it empowers people to know peace without Christ. They get complacent and sometimes even become so thrifty that they fail to help others as they horde their money in fear of losing it. If we as the church teach people to manage their finances better, they feel less need for God and others. They take the information and put it in the bank for safe keeping. In contrast to that, rather than force feed people messages on financial freedom or prosperity, what if we explained that our finances really have God as the source? If we took a biblical view of what money is and how God entrusted us as stewards with hearts of compassion for others that have less. Imagine what the world would be like if we as supposed Christ followers stopped looking to the church as having to meet their personal needs and looked to others as the Bible tells us to in Matthew 25:31-46:
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31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
We as the church need to show others just how much Christ loves them and has a plan for their lives which leads not to peace in this world, but peace on an uncomparable, eternal level with the God of the universe. Let us focus on Jesus, the lover of our soul and less on how we can have happier lives because of a false understanding that God wants us to be happy. God never, ever called on us to be happy. He did, however, call us to be holy!
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good thinking!
nothing can (or should in our feeble attempts!) replace the gospel!
I like your point about financial “freedom” representing a false/alternate gospel. It is a very old idol.
Even in conservative circles where “prosperity theology” is decried, financial freedom/independence is still deemed as some sort of litmus test of spirituality.
e.g. if you’re truly trusting/serving Christ etc etc than you would have this, that etc.
Of course, that doesn’t excuse being wise stewards etc as you’ve pointed out.
I think the balance is in the area of serving for the sake of gospel opportunities – but even then the NT seems to consistently offer examples of the Church community supporting/serving each other, but not really the unsaved as a means to reach out. Jesus said, “the poor will always be with you”. In which case they don’t need a credit rating they need Christ!
Albert: Thanks so much reading and for the comment! Glad to see I’m not alone in my thoughts. Your comment, ” Jesus said, “the poor will always be with you”. In which case they don’t need a credit rating they need Christ!” is so great. Being good stewards of our finances is common sense to even those that don’t know Jesus. I’m sure Kenny isn’t looking at this as a prosperity teaching, but I do agree that it often lumped together with that theology. I don’t see how teaching financial responsibility as a sermon series in the church helps to make the gospel known or people to want to passionately follow Christ. Thanks again.
cheers.
I didn’t mean to imply that Kenny was into “prosperity theology” – so I hope, if he reads this, isn’t thinking I was taking a swipe at him :) rather that, in my experience “down under”, there is yet to be a separation in practice from this ideology.
I think that sermons on stewardship etc in the area of finances should probably tend more towards our giving/tithing etc rather than how to pay off the mortgage. of course this runs contrary to financial “wisdom” which says “hord and invest” or as Jesus quoted the rich man in Luke 12, “build bigger barns”.
Totally agree with you Dave – that’s the problem with financial freedom – it encourages people to know peace without Jesus. Like you I do think that the role of the church though is to teach our people to be good stewards of their material resources using it for the kingdom in generosity, love and compassion. Am reminded of 1 Tim.6:17-19 where we’re told to, ‘Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.’
Those of us in the West, even in the current financial crisis are still the rich.
in Him,
euge
Eugene: I totally agree with your thoughts…thanks for sharing them. Glad to know we have more things in common than just lovers of cooking & enjoying a good meal :)