February 7, 2023

 

Financial Gain

 

If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

– 1 Timothy 6:3-5

 

Paul didn’t use soft words. He’d just written about slaves having respect for their owners and then he went right on to false teachers, unrest and money. God surely shows us exactly what we need and when.

 

I’ve written about our divided local church and the path toward a vote on disaffiliating from the United Methodist Church. There are those who insist it’s over “traditional values” but the hard truth is that it’s all about money. And power. Oh, and control. It’s coming from people who think it’s okay to write a check, tell everyone else how to run the church, and then most of the time don’t bother to even show up. And it’s about judgmental people who point fingers without bothering to exam themselves.

 

At times I beat myself up for my own judgmental attitude. I struggle with anger at the pointlessness of it all. Where is Jesus in all this? Why do people think it’s okay to blame others for all the church’s flaws when they don’t bother to show up?

 

Money. Money. Money. There unfortunately are people who truly believe that money should give them the right to “own” church property. There are those who truly believe that money should give them the right to control all the decisions in the church, whether it’s hiring, Bible studies or various ministries.

 

I am a thorn that keeps drawing blood. Jesus’ blood. Because I believe that the church and all its properties belong to God. I believe that Jesus Himself should dictate hiring and Bible studies and all ministries.

 

I could provide my “credentials” if you will. I could talk about family history and ministry activities and volunteer hours. But why? I do what God calls me to do. I have nothing to brag about other than what Jesus has done for me.

 

We are stewards of what God has placed in our care, whether people or things. There are those who would destroy what is His because of their own greed and lust for power. It’s nothing more than a business deal to them.

 

I have no idea how it will all turn out. Satan seems determined to destroy what God has built. His minions are hard at work, spreading lies and constantly causing unrest. Deep inside, a peace fills me. This battle belongs to God.

January 27, 2023

 

Who’s in Charge?

 

After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” – Nehemiah 4:14

 

In many ways it’s a fight between those who have money and power and those who are regular people. Factor in people who want to be part of the money and power group and it appears a landslide toward disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church. But God has never been One to sit on the sidelines while people try to destroy His church.

 

What’s going to happen? I really don’t know. It’s impossible to predict what God will do. He could leave people who claim to know Him to their own devices. He could allow evil to rise up and use His name to further themselves. Or He could raise His might against those who seek to control what is His.

 

Satan is doing his best to destroy what God has built. At least that is what appears to be happening. I wonder now how long Satan has been a part of this church. How long have people masqueraded as Christ followers all the while only knowing the darkness of evil in their hearts?

 

People are afraid. They follow like little puppets, assured that going against those in power will result in destruction. They’ve witnessed the business dealings, the legal proceedings, the horror of opposing a ruling class that appears unstoppable. This is the Deep South. This is still a small town. Certain families are in charge.

 

Until they’re not. If we truly believe in the Gospel, if we truly know that God judges our hearts, if we truly understand the power of the Holy Spirit, then how can we give up without a fight?

 

I’ve seen miracles happen. I’ve witnessed God showing up in the midst of the impossible. I’ve watched as those who seemed untouchable were brought low by the mighty power of Jesus.

 

I have no idea how this will end. But I do believe that in this moment God has called me to stand still and watch His mighty sword. Perhaps Whatever happens, I follow Christ. I call on Him for strength and wisdom. I pray for light to guide the way. His will be done.

November 24, 2018

Plant Good Seeds

“Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.”

– Mark 4:18-19

We want to be like everyone else. We want our church to be able to “compete” for members and money with all the other churches in our area. We get so focused on numbers and “what works” that we lose sight of who we are in Christ.

When the direction of our churches becomes more about being like everyone else, then we’ve lost sight of who we really are in Christ. We are not all called to be the same when it comes to how things are done. Our focus should be on the Word of God. Our trust should be in Him alone.

But we trust ourselves. We trust our leadership. We trust in concrete things like attendance records and bank statements. We fight among ourselves and criticize each other. We forget it’s not about what we want, it’s about what He wants.

Jesus told this parable about seeds that are planted. Some seed are stolen by Satan almost immediately. Some seed never really take root. And some seed grow among thorns and are overtaken by the deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for things. Those focused on things of the world will never be fruitful. Jesus is clear about that. So why do we waste time and money trying to manipulate those things to make our churches appear larger and more prosperous than they are? Why do we chase numbers and money instead of chasing Jesus and trusting Him to provide what we need?

Priorities. I wrote about that yesterday. But priorities aren’t just about what we do as individuals. It’s also about what we do as a church. It’s about what we focus on as a church.

I had a pastor once who really stepped on toes when it came to finances. He wasn’t concerned at all about money. As he explained one Sunday, all he really cared about was whether the church was doing what God had called it to do. To him, it was all about basic belief. God provides what we need when we step out in faith to do what He has called us to do.

We get that backwards so many times. I’m not talking about being fiscally irresponsible. But I am talking about having a deep faith that directs our steps, even when the numbers tell us something different.

In our town, there’s a rapidly growing church that focuses on performance and small group involvement. There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m not criticizing it at all. But what bothers me are the churches that insist on adopting those same elements, even when it doesn’t fit the “personality” of that particular church. It’s not about following the call of God. It’s about chasing numbers and trying to be like your neighbor instead of being the best you that you can be.

Discord so often happens in churches because people are so intent on getting their own way that they lose sight of what church is all about. We are the body of Christ. It’s about Him. That’s all. It’s about Him.

Don’t let copycat syndrome destroy what’s good about your church and the people who are part of it. Be the church He created you to be and trust that the seeds you plant will land in fertile soil and produce much abundance in the days and years to come.

November 16, 2018

Open Your Eyes

Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”

– John 9:39-41

Does it ever occur to any of us that we could be wrong? Do we ever seek the Bible’s wisdom for what it truly says rather than searching for words that will “prove” what we already believe? What would happen if we truly followed Jesus rather than picking and choosing the parts of Him that feel comfortably in line with ourselves?

Jesus didn’t come to conform to our “wisdom.” He came to save us from ourselves, from the sins that fill us, from the hardness of our hearts. But He left us with a choice. We can choose to follow Jesus or ourselves. There is no room on His path for both of us.

We are quick to point out that the Bible condemns homosexuality. We aren’t so quick to say that it also condemns divorce. Why would we? In our country, an estimated 40-50 percent of all couples will divorce. We don’t want to condemn ourselves so we choose to ignore what the Bible really says.

We are quick to condemn abortion as murder. We don’t want to support the child. That’s someone else’s responsibility. We don’t want to welcome those who are cast aside for their mistakes. We want them to pay again and again under our condemning eyes.

Obviously, abortion is wrong. So is casting aside an unwed mother. Remember: Mary was an unwed mother too. Before she and Joseph married. Before anyone understood about the Holy Spirit and the Messiah, she was a teenager with a growing belly in a world that would have destroyed her for her “sin.”

We cling tightly to our money, refusing to share or tithe as we should. We ignore what the Bible says about money – and it says a great deal about money – choosing instead to “believe” that everyone must support themselves. It is ours, we insist. Others aren’t worthy, we explain. Except the Bible doesn’t talk too much about worthy or ownership. It talks about gifts from God and sharing our blessings. Judgment isn’t ours to dispense, even when it comes to the money God has graciously given to us.

Oh, and let’s not forget the immigrants. We don’t want them. Period. We may expound our beliefs and justify ourselves but it’s just not biblical. The Bible tells us to welcome the foreigner because we once were foreigners. We are to extend kindness and compassion. But we hold what is ours tightly and refuse to show mercy.

There is no easy walk in our world today. It’s like a tightrope that keeps moving except, well, it doesn’t. The Bible is full of words that contradiction what we believe and what we say we believe. It’s impossible to truly love Jesus and stand only for some of what He says and ignore the rest.

Are we blind? Absolutely. But our blindness is a choice. We have the answers before us but we choose to ignore their truth because it’s uncomfortable and it just might cost us something we hold dear. Our money. Yes, it might cost us our money. It might force us to show kindness to people we don’t like. It might ask us to welcome people who aren’t like us so that we can show them that Jesus loves everyone and welcomes them into His arms.

Open your eyes. See your sin. Make your choice.

August 14, 2018

Do You Trust God?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make straight your paths.

– Proverbs 3:5-6

A few years ago a friend told me she and her husband had stopped tithing. They just couldn’t afford it, she explained. They own their own business and sales were way off. They were struggling to pay their bills.

I’m not sure why she told me all this. I certainly didn’t ask. And, yes, I kept my mouth shut. It was really none of my business. Some things belong between an individual or couple and God. Period. Still, I wonder if guilt might have played a role in her telling me. I think she wanted me to tell her it was all right. It wasn’t.

God tells us to tithe first. That means before we pay the rent or mortgage, before we pay the electric bill, before we buy groceries. We want to tithe from what’s left over but that’s not what God says to do.

It’s difficult to believe there will always be enough. We don’t see how to stretch our paycheck to cover what’s necessary, much less the extras like school supplies and a new car battery. Still, God says to trust Him.

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

– Malachi 3:10

We say we trust God. We do – up to a point. Because when it really comes down to it, we don’t trust Him to provide for our needs and our wants. Wait. Let’s back that up a bit. Our needs and our wants. Ah. There you have it. We want a certain lifestyle and we aren’t sure it’s what God wants for us. So, we figure we’d better handle that for ourselves.

This sweet woman who explained why she couldn’t tithe wasn’t willing to sacrifice her lifestyle for God. She wasn’t willing to give up eating out, vacations or new flooring for her home. It was just easier to short-change God.

I don’t mean to pick on her. She’s a wonderful person. She’s just so much like you and me. No matter how much we want to trust God there’s that little bit inside that tells us we’d better not count too much on God Almighty when it comes to our finances.

Do you remember how Jesus took the five loaves of bread and two fish and fed 5,000 men, plus women and children? (Matthew 14:13-21) The disciples didn’t trust Jesus either. They had no idea how He could take the little bit of food offered up and multiply it to feed so many. But He did.

We look at what we can see and decide God will have to wait. We shake our heads in doubt and determine God can’t make our paychecks go farther than we can. We cling to what we have because we don’t believe God will bless us with extras.

So, let me ask you: How much do you trust God? Really? Show it with your actions and watch how He blesses your obedience.

July 8, 2018

What’s Your Price?

And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. – Luke 22:4-5

What would you do for the promise of money or power? Don’t deny that it would ever happen. Most people have a price, the amount of money or the level of prestige, that would cause them to betray those closest to them.

Judas had a price. It was 30 pieces of silver, roughly about $600. Looking back, we see that Judas betrayed the Messiah. We understand that it was planned from the beginning. God had made a way to reconcile us to Him. Judas’ actions fulfilled Old Testament prophecy.

But step back for a moment and consider this: Judas betrayed his friend. He handed Jesus over for money. He ignored the three years he had traveled with Jesus and sat at the table with Him. He shoved aside the miracles and the memories. He did it all for money.

So, let me ask you again: What’s your price? Who will you betray for a nice promotion at work? What will you take credit for to get a bonus? How many times will you tell yourself “it’s just business” as you do what you know you shouldn’t in order to elevate your worldly goods and status?

Maybe it’s more about money than position for you. Will you lie to bring in more money? Will you cheat someone? Will you take advantage of someone who trusts you? What’s your price? How much is your family worth? Your friends? Your coworkers?

Many years ago there was a big scandal involving the son of a famous actor. A “friend” sold her story to a television tabloid. She took advantage of his tragedy to put money in her own pocket and give her those 15 minutes of fame she craved. I wonder how much it cost her?

She and I had a mutual friend. He promptly ended the friendship. Who wants to be around someone you can’t trust? I don’t know if anyone else did the same but I suspect that they did. Yes, she got money and fleeting fame. But she lost a great deal too.

Do we ever count the cost? Did Judas understand what those 30 pieces of silver would cost him? He attempted to return the silver. He realized he had betrayed an innocent man and now that man, Jesus, would be crucified. Judas paid with his life, though we don’t know whether it was from hanging (Matthew 27:5) or from a fall (Luke says this in Acts 1:18). Shame for a betrayal that could never be undone.

We like to get lofty when talking about what we will or won’t do. We pretend all is well until the day comes and we are faced with a choice: Do what is right or do what will benefit you financially. The world is littered with people who did all they could to benefit themselves only to have their evil plans derailed. And the world is littered with their victims.

Satan knows each person’s sweet spot. He knows just what it will take to lead you down a path you thought you were above. Never get so cocky as to think he doesn’t know your price. And never get so arrogant to think you won’t fall to temptation. Everyone has a price. What’s yours?

January 8, 2016

What's Really Important?

 

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. -- Matthew 6:19-21

I went to an estate sale today. It was really kind of sad. As I walked around with the dozens of other people, I was so very aware of the life that was just so recently there.

He was probably a good man. A widower whose wife’s things remained. His two children live far away. It was easier this way, to have a professional estate sale company go in and sort through it all.

You can’t take it with you. He didn’t. He left behind a new log splitter he’d never gotten a chance to use. The dishes and pots and pans and all those things that make up a home. It’s all so empty now.

I bought tubs of fabric that his wife once bought. I bought a few Christmas decorations. And a small blue corning ware dish. I lugged it all home. Small bits from a life lived because he didn’t take any of it with him.

There are just so many fights over things of this world. None of it matters. Those who are filled with greed are never satisfied. They seek to destroy everything in an effort to gain things. Why? Because one day they’ll be gone and all those things, all that money, all that property, will be left behind. Right along with the destruction that the fight caused.

Focusing on things always causes destruction. It breaks hearts. It causes irreparable damage. Forgiveness -- even when it isn’t asked for -- doesn’t wipe away the damage.

Again: For what? Money really won’t make you happy. We joke that we’d like to try it. But would we? Money will never fill that hole deep inside of us. Only God can do that.

So the next time you’re focused in on what you think you’ve got to have, reconsider. Focus on what’s really important and trust God to take care of the rest.

February 25, 2015

Salvation Can't Be Bought

 

When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

Peter answered: "May you money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!"

-- Acts 8:18-20

I woman I know recently suffered a broken relationship with her cousin. It was over money. Of course. It always is. The woman expected her cousin to give her something her aunt -- her cousin's mother -- had wanted given to her. The cousin resisted, lied, then finally handed it over.

The relationship remains broken. The woman can't believe her cousin -- someone she thought of as a sister -- would keep something of financial value from her. She doesn't need the money. I understand her point. What she wanted was expensive jewelry she had given to her aunt. Her aunt wanted her to have it back. But was it worth the relationship? For either of them?

Well, the rest of the story: This woman uses her money to "buy" people. She helped her aunt and cousin financially. She paid for a new air conditioning unit. She bought them expensive clothes. She even helped her cousin buy a used car. In return, her cousin was expected to drop what she was doing and run errands for her. The cousin cooked and shopped and carried her to doctor's appointments. She was an unpaid servant.

It was all informal of course. The woman believes it was her "right" to expect such servitude for the money she gave away. She just doesn't get it. None of her gifts came from her heart. They weren't given freely, without obligation. There were strings attached, invisible though they were.

The cousin seems relieved at the broken relationship. There is a freedom in knowing that you aren't obligated to someone who believes they "own" you.

Now let's look at the church. Our church has four services. One traditional service has very low attendance and there has been some talk about discontinuing it. Not going to happen, church leaders say. Why? Because some of those who attend that service contribute a great deal financially and no one wants to offend them. Really?! Should that even be a factor? No.

The sad fact is that even in churches those who are financially able to give more are accorded greater respect and say in church matters. Money should never enter into the equation. Remember that Jesus pointed out the woman who gave all she had and contrasted her to those who gave from their abundance. What is of more value? That which comes from the heart, involves sacrifice and trust in our Lord.

Maybe it's easier for me to see. Years ago, money mattered to me. Then I lost someone I loved, suddenly and without time to prepare. My views on what is important changed for the better. Money doesn't define a person. Character does.

Faith isn't something that is for sale. You can't buy your way into heaven. Salvation isn't dependent on your bank account. Or your works. Or you looks. It's dependent on faith in Jesus. And that comes from the heart.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Don’t Value What Doesn’t Matter

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. -- Acts 4:32

It’s that time of year again. It’s that time when the finance committee at church starts talking about money, about tithing, about trusting God. Have you tuned out yet? That’s what most people do.

We trust God. We do. We trust Jesus with our salvation. We trust Him to answer our prayers. We plead with Him for healing and blessings. But we don’t tend to trust Him with our finances. That’s off limits. We prefer to keep that to ourselves and decide how we’ll spend it. Or not.

There are few issues as volatile as money or possessions. We don’t want to share. Ask any small child. They’re happy to share -- when they’re done playing with it and when they’re good and ready to share. Not before. Don’t even think about taking it before then.

We adults are no better. We value our possessions and our bank accounts. Some of us are generous, but on our terms and in our timing. We don’t want anyone standing up there and telling us what a blessing it is to give more to the church, to charity, to someone we’re not sure deserves it.

There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. -- Acts 4:34-35

We tend to think of ourselves as superior to others. The more money and possessions we have, the better we feel about ourselves. Do money and possessions make us better people? No. In fact, sometimes just the opposite is true.

We look down on those who have less and that’s just plain wrong. Max Lucado once spoke of a friend in another country. The man works harder, perhaps, Lucado noted, harder than he works. Yet his family lives in a small hut with a dirt floor. It wasn’t about working hard. Or being smart. Or making wise choices. It was about circumstances and a life sometimes determined by where you live more than anything else.

Our hearts grow hard when we think of handouts to the poor. We are conditioned to believe that those in need aren’t worthy to receive our help. We blame them for their circumstances, and sometimes we are right. But God gave us another chance so why do we refuse others the same opportunity?

It all comes back to holding on to that money and those possessions. None of that matters, not in the scope of eternity. I wonder sometimes about those who think it does. It must be exhausting trying to hold on to something that you’re destined to lose sooner or later anyway.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Choose To Inspire Others

So they come pretending to be sincere and sit before you listening. But they have no intention of doing what I tell them. They express love with their mouths, but their hearts seek only after money. -- Ezekiel 33:31

He’s a good man. At least, I keep telling myself that. He can be kind and considerate and giving. But mostly he’s a ruthless businessman focused on money and self. His uneven personality keeps his employees on edge and drives others away.

God is God and there can be no other before Him. We know that -- at least we claim to know that. But every time we put money before God, every time we place power before kindness, every time we treat someone harshly without cause, we deny God. Because how can He live within us unless we care for those around us?

None of us are perfect. We all occasionally make bad choices. Sometime we’re irritable and snap at someone who doesn’t deserve it. So we apologize and try to fix our mess. We turn to God for guidance.

But when it becomes a daily thing, it’s way past time to reevaluate our lives. Because life isn’t meant to be focused on things rather than people.

Oh, we’ve all seen or experienced the stereotype businessman who is so focused on work, and the long hours that come with climbing that corporate ladder, that he misses out on his children’s lives. So he makes more money that someone who might work only 40 hours per week. So what? His kids have an absentee father when they really need someone there to cheer them on, guide them and just listen to them.

A number of years ago I lost a dear friend suddenly. He had spent many years working, climbing the corporate ladder, and investing in the company he worked for. The company went bankrupt and he lost everything he thought he valued.

But he gained an opportunity to do things differently. Oh, he still worked hard. But he took time to go out to eat with friends. To visit his family. To take dreamed of vacations. When he died, he’d done many of the things he’d dreamed of doing. I was grateful for that.

It seems kind of cheesy to ask yourself what you’d regret if you died tomorrow but, really, it’s a question we all should ask ourselves. Would we regret the hours spent working, the sharp comments, the focus on things rather than people? Most of us would.

Because in the end it’s all about relationships: our relationship with God and with those whose lives we touch. We have an opportunity to do good, to lead and inspire those we encounter each day. We also have the opportunity to blow it. Your life. Your choice. Which will it be?

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Who Do You Serve?

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” -- Luke 16:13

What position does money hold in your life? Is it something that is necessary for a good life but not an obsession? Is money something you crave and can never seen to have enough of? Do you view money as power? Is money your key to happiness?

How we view money says a great deal about us and, to some degree, about our experiences. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that a person who grows up poor really needs to have a large bank account as an adult. Nor should it shock us that someone who has faced great emotional tragedy doesn’t value money as much as someone whose life has pretty much gone according to their plan.

Money is the difference between poverty and comfort. It determines whether you receive medical care and whether that medical care is minimal or top-notch. Money determines whether you have time for golf and vacations or whether your life consists of week after week and year after year of working two or three jobs just to keep a roof over your head and food on the table.

The problem comes when we place more importance on money than on God. It happens when we’re so busy earning more money than we need that we neglect His Word. It happens when we become so stingy with what we have -- all of which comes from God -- that we refuse to share with someone in need. We lose focus. We serve money, then God. That never works.

Do you want to put money in perspective? Do you want to understand how little or how much it means? Talk to a mother who just buried her three-year-old child because she couldn‘t afford to take him to a specialist. Ask the widow whose husband died suddenly. Or talk to the woman facing another round of chemotherapy -- with no insurance because she was too sick to work anymore. Or talk to the children who spend most afternoons, nights and weekends alone because their parents are too busy working to earn more money to spend time with them.

For some people money literally means the difference between life and death. I’m always reminded of the explanation Ted Kennedy once gave for advocating health care reform. It really wasn’t about liberal politics, no matter what his critics claimed. His son lost a leg to bone cancer when he was a boy. Kennedy said he looked around the hospital and realized for the first time that while his son would live because his family could afford medical treatment, other children would die because their families couldn’t afford that treatment.

I have so solutions to medical care reform. I have no idea how to help those who need assistance without enabling those who take advantage of others. I don’t know how much money is enough and how much money is too much. I try really hard not to judge either way.

But I truly believe that God is appalled by what He sees in our country today. We are so focused on keeping what we have for ourselves and blaming others for their circumstances that we have lost sight of what’s important. We’ve forgotten to be kind. We refrain from mercy. We don’t seek justice for those too weak to fight for themselves.

Who do you serve: God or money? It can’t be both. One will save your soul and give you a life of happiness no matter your circumstances. The other will fill your bank account and leave you empty and hard. Your life. Your choice.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Church Isn't About Money

"The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight." -- Luke 16:14-15

Have you ever attended a church that was focused on money? The call from the pulpit is almost weekly. Church leaders are always broke and always wanting. Not so they have more money to give to the poor. Not to meet basic needs or build as the church grows. Just to have more money. And more money. There is never enough.

This is not a criticism of tithing. The Bible says to give God back 10 percent of everything He has given you. That's basic. You do that or you report to God. End of story. Tithing is a good thing.

This is about the church that can never have enough money. It's the one where the church leaders go to conferences and host nice affairs for other churches or organizations. It's the one that is so fancy and new and, well, showy that you'd never think to invite a homeless person in for some fellowship.

Funny thing, too, the more the leadership focuses on money, the less they focus on helping the poor. The more time they spend building up the reserves, the more difficult it is to add an outreach program for teenagers. Or offer counseling for battered women. Or invite children to participate in a music program.

I once heard a wonderful preacher tell a congregation that he didn't worry about money. He wasn't really popular, as you might imagine. But he made a good point. He said that all he cared about was doing God's will. He said that if God calls a church -- or anyone -- to do something, He'll provide the money. He's right.

I'd really love to see all churches stop asking for money. I'd like for every Christian to truly tithe 10 percent. And I'd like for churches to pray for God's will before the leaders commit to anything. Because God will provide for whatever is His will. It might not be showy. It might not involve a new building. But it will minister and comfort His people, drawing them to Him. And isn't that truly what we've been called to do?

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Trust God

"Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless."

-- Ecclesiastes 5:10

I have grown really tired of all the money talks at church. I don't want to hear another story about how tithing leads to good things. I know it's true. I'm living it now. I'm just tired of hearing about it. Let's move on.

I know times are tough. It's been a rough couple of years. Churches, like everyone else, are hurting financially. When individual incomes fall, so do the church coffers. I'm not insensitive to that. It's just that repeated pleading doesn't make people feel warm and fuzzy and eager to give. It just makes them want to stay home -- like I did on Sunday.

Years ago I heard a pastor talk about money. He said he didn't worry about money. He also acknowledged that it upset a number of people in the church. This pastor said that the only thing he was concerned with was knowing God's will. The reason? Because if God calls us to do something, He'll make sure we have the money to do it.

It was such a simple explanation and resolved so many things in my mind about money. See, I've always had money issues. I equate money with acceptance. I want to earn lots of money. It never made me happy but at least I thought I was in control. I wasn't. It never stopped the sadness. And I was never, ever in control of anything.

I've come to understand that worrying about money means that I'm not trusting God to take care of me. I think I've got to handle it. It's a control issue. It's like I need to be in control. I know it's silly. I'm not in control. God is. Always. Any control I think I have is just an illusion.

So it bothers me when I hear a church talking about money Sunday after Sunday. I want to stand up and shout at the leaders to pray instead. To seek God's will and trust Him to handle things. God really does know what He's doing. He knows what we need. And He has a plan. He'll give us the money to do His will. Trust Him. He won't let you down.