The original article has been removed. I give my answer to the question on my YouTube channel.
The video is entitled “Should a Christian be Wealthy?”
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Shane says he proposing a “new framework” but this philosophy is not new, although it is likely new to him.
The quote from Gandhi in the middle of it was a little disconcerting considering we are trying to follow biblical advice.
Jesus said, “The poor you will always have with you.”
We could interpret that to mean the poor will hang around the rich…. always. So, rich Christians, share.
Another interesting book “With All Your Possessions” by Meir Tamari I read years ago, but don’t have a personal copy of, explains the “framework” of Jewish attitude toward money. This article reminded me of that book. He’s written other books about the economics of enough as well, and Jewish ethics, etc. Still want to read in my lifetime.
Old Testament Law and New Testament Grace shows us patterns. But Jesus shows us love. He loves us whether we are rich or poor, strong or weak, wise or foolish, slave or free, Jew or Gentile, ultimately what we do with HIM is the most important question.
Jesus brought a kingdom with him when he came to earth, the governmant of heaven he carried on his shoulders. When we believe in him and confess Him as Lord, we are then made citizens in and of the kingdom of God, thus making us a lien or foreigners in this world. In the kingdom of God there is no poverty, the King provides for his citizens. This is why he tells us not to worry about what we will eat what we will drink what we will wear and I will add how much money we will have or not have, but seek the Kingom first, because our King father knows exactly what we need and will provide. Jesus told the young ruler to go and sell all of his possessions to and give the money to the poor, and the young ruler walked away because he had much he was rich, I believe that he was uber rich. Most preachers stop after Jesus says that it is more easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter into the kingdom, they don’t continue down through the verses where Jesus says ” there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children for the sake of the kingdom of God we shall not receive many times more in this present time and in the age to come eternal life.” Luke 18:18-30.
If that rich young ruler had done with Jesus told him to do, Followed him, There is no doubt in my mind according to the scripture that God would have Have given him More wealth, Than He would have sold to follow Christ, And that present time, His lifetime, And eternal life And the age to come.
I believe that Shane’s use of the word ” Needy” Does not accurately describe what Took place in the early church in Acts 2, Scripture says that there was no poverty among them., To me poverty is a deep word, To me having a need goes a lot deeper then just being needy, Regarding poverty.
In the kingdom of God there is common wealth, Our key Father God is rich In every way, And in everything, And he provides, And shares his riches with his Children. I believe that Jesus was making a distinction between the mentality of the world regarding Being rich as its culture and mindset defines it, as being in opposition to the mindset of a kingdom citizen, in the kingdom of God.
Frank, I’m sorry for the lengthy reply, on this broad and deep subject! And am looking forward to your Response to Shane.
I enjoyed what Shane Claiborne had to say about christians being rich. I tried to find the source online but could only come up with a little he is quoted from a radio interview. Is this from a book or were? The one down side of some blogs is they do not list sources.
Thanks
It’s from one of his social media sites.
I really enjoyed the thoughtful article and the comments. As I always end up being simplistic, here I go again. Money and stuff is just money and stuff, and it is to be used for God’s glory. Focus on God and on surrender to His Will for our lives and He’ll tell you what to do with your money and stuff. If you trust Him and obey Him with your money and stuff, then He’ll be glorified and you be blessed. I agree with Shane that our whole American society is waaaay too focused on affluence and money and stuff; the devil has a death grip on us in that area; so we need to renew our focus on Jesus and His love and His humility and His willingness to serve and be the ransom for many, and we’ll do God’s Will like Jesus did. Like is says in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind (this attitude) be in you that also was in Christ Jesus.”
If the definition of rich is that a person has an overabundance of money sitting in their bank account doing nothing good or that money is only going to feed their personal wants beyond their needs, then no it is not good for a Christian to be rich.
Many have already explained that it is what the person does with their money that determines whether or not they are in sin. I agree.
If the definition of rich is having an overabundance of money and then giving it away after meeting their personal needs then no, being rich is not a sin. Also if the person gives the money away (or buys the things another needs) and also goes without then that too can be defined as rich due to the INCOME yet be Christ-like in their attitude about giving.
I found this article pleasantly liberating.
I really need a full blog post to cover all my thoughts 🙂 ; however, I’ll try to sum up as much as I can here.
There are some things I like about Shane’s response to the question:
“The Theology of Enough”
As Christians, we are called to contentment. Like Paul, we should find ourselves content in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, whether that is in wealth or not.
We are to love our neighbor and be generous. We are to cheerfully give, and not hoard an abundance away for ourselves.
I love the story of the kid sharing his ice cream and his point is valid. We should love others and be excited about the gifts that God has given us to be inclined to share (love, forgiveness, mercy, the Gospel, as well as our financial blessings).
What bothers me is what is left unsaid and even just the basic reasoning he uses to defend his position:
He likens asking the question of riches to that of Christians overeating. I want to challenge the presupposition that it is wrong to overeat. Gluttony is a sin. Overeating is not necessarily a sin. Some call it feasting, and it is lost to us in the West, where we typically eat an overabundance of food.
But, there are times when God calls us to feast (not just on food), but also on Him. Could we get an overabundance of Him? But, there are multiple feasts that the Israelites celebrated. God is a God of abundance (not talking about prosperity theology here), and merely saying that overeating is a sin, would mean that times of feasting were sinful.
In addition, what then, do you do with the parable of the talents? The individual who merely buried his talent was scolded by the Master. The ones who increase their wealth were praised.
And, what about this verse in Deuteronomy 8:
But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
Yes, it is in the Old Testament, but does it not apply today? There are those who have a knack, it seems, for business and money. Should they not use their gifts to glorify the Father and be generous to others?
This also raises another flaw in even the reasoning behind Shane’s argument. If all Christians lived only by what they need, what would there be to give away? How can we be generous with what we do not have?
The whole concept behind being generous is that I have more than what I need so that I am able to share with others.
Lastly, when you consider the income of most Americans, we are in the top percentage of the world’s wealth. Globally, almost every American is rich according to the global economy. How we use that wealth is probably more of a sin than merely having it.
Again, there’s a lot of other thoughts I have, but will end here, and maybe come back later to share a link to a blog post response.
Very well spoken! Wholeheartedly agree!
I agree with you, except for your thoughts on overeating. You make the assumption that overeating is a part of feasting. It is more to do with the type/quality of food then to do with the quantity of food that is eaten. Overeating is not healthy but harmful to the body (temple of God). You can compare it to drinking (alcohol). Drinking is often associated with feasting but over-drinking is going to cause problems and is a sin. There is a tendency to overeat and over-drink at a feast, that has more to do with our weakness to give into those temptation but that does not make it right.
Feasting does not give us the permission to abandon moral and physical laws that God desires us to live with-in. By living within those boundaries we will be blessed because that is the natural outworking of the laws of God. We ought to always reflect the beauty of Jesus Christ, where ever and whenever.
Good points I am in agreement with you.
Paul knew how to be content when he was abased and when he was abounding. The key is to be content with Christ no matter what situation or circumstance we are in. Then let His indwelling life lead everything we do. Some of us will be rich and some us will be poor. Some of us will be both multiple times in the same life time. It’s really God’s choice. He pours out the rain on the just and the unjust.
But, the key is contentment. One thread that runs throughout scripture is to be content with food and clothing. Paul stated it in Timothy. Christ stated it when He said we couldn’t serve two masters and we should seek the kingdom first. The Israelites experienced it in the wilderness when God provided manna for 40 years and their clothes and sandals never wore out. Interestingly, every time the Bible shows we should be content with food and clothing because that’s what God will provide us the Bible never says anything about having a home. Of course Christ didn’t have a place to lay His head either.
There is something sad about this discussion. In the United States we live in one of the wealthiest societies to ever exist on the planet. This society arose through capitalism–a system based on greed and materialism and dare I say exploitation. We are all active participants in, and directly benefit from that system. I feel like a German citizen in 1945 talking about whether it is okay to kill Jews. Of course it isn’t, but that falls short of the point–what we should be doing is talking about how to change our culture and our society so that it focuses on love and personal responsibility rather than on greed and personal rights. The issue isn’t “contentment” as Steve said, the issue is “love”. We cannot claim to love others while propagating a socio-economic system that exploits other people and keeps them in poverty. Jesus said sell ALL that you own and follow me. How many of us have done that–none. I thank God for His grace and the forgiveness of my sins offered through Christ’s sacrifice. But lets stop thinking about ourselves and how much stuff we are allowed to keep and start thinking about others and how we can change our society to help them.
Patrick, Thanks for your comment. I have 4 questions for you:
1. Are you a regular subscriber to this blog? If not, where did you come across it?
2. Where does Jesus say “sell all and follow me” to *everyone* in the Gospels? And does Paul continue this word to all the followers of Christ who met in the churches he raised up throughout the Roman Empire? (Jesus did say this to *some* of His disciples, but not all. Example: His best disciples who lived in Bethany were well-to-do and He never told them that. See “God’s Favorite Place on Earth” for details on this. https://www.frankviola.org/godsfavoriteplace – I suspect you’ve not read that book.)
3. Have you sold everything you own and given it away? If so, where do you live and do you own any means of transportation?
4. What sort of economic system alleviates poverty and where it is happening?
Great point, Frank.
I think Christians are divided on this issue (as they are on many topics). To some capitalism is the “end all be all” of economic systems and it is perfectly consistent with biblical values. Other Christians mock the purely capitalistic system (like what is typically seen in the U.S.) in favor of something more socialistic.
I live in Germany. Here I have come to value a socially democratic economic system that attempts to strike a balance between free market economics and social programs designed to serve the least among us (although I know there are believers reading this who think that capitalism is the best economic mechanism for serving the least among us).
What do these comments have to do with the question regarding Christians and wealth? My hope is that believers who do find themselves in wealthy situations use their wealth wisely as God would want them to — regardless of what economic system they find themselves part of.
Had to jump in here Matthew. There’s no such thing as “pure capitalism” anywhere in this world anymore. The media, intelligentsia, and anyone who’s pissed off about this current system blame it on “capitalism”. The US is at best corporatist, oligarchical with a good dose of Fabianism thrown in US style. Look up any of the works of Ludwig von Mises, Murray Rothbard, FA Hayek, Henry Hazlitt, etc. mises.org, is a great place to start. It’s all about freedom and what God put into the very wiring of our being. We need to keep in mind that communists and socialists use the scripture out of Acts(2:44) “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.” as some kind of spiritualized underpinning to their philosophy. The problem is that the true believers in the scripture did it out of a deep connection with God through Jesus and His Spirit and gave FREELY. I wonder how much of the “everything in common” gets passed to people in this world through inefficient, bureaucratic, corrupt socialist entities? When I read this passage I read EVERYTHING in common not some of it being scimmed off the top by some multinational corp or misdirected to some political slush fund. It was EVERYTHING because they gave out of the love of God in their hearts and they were together giving of their own volition, their own free will.
This article gelled with my spirit as a call to a more fundamental living with God and His daily provision.
Dan: did you listen to the podcast where I answer the question – should a Christian be wealthy? http://ptmin.podbean.com/e/should-a-christian-be-wealthy/
In it, I address what was happening in Acts 2:44ff. Unfortunately, the historical situation there has been missed.
I agree with Shane and admire him for being a wise example of a follower of Jesus.
Job was rich (Job 1:3).
Abraham was rich (Genesis 13:2).
Isaac was rich (Genesis 26:12-13).
Jacob was rich (Genesis 30:43).
Joseph was rich (Genesis 41:41-44).
Moses was rich (Hebrews 11:26).
King David and King Solomon were rich (II Chronicles 9:13-14).
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were rich (Daniel 1:18-21).
Joseph of Arimathea was rich (Matthew 27:57).
It is okay for Christians to be rich, BUT:
“Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.'” (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
AND:
“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” (I Timothy 6:17-19)
LASTLY,
Always remember that a nameless widow with a penny, seen by none but the Lord, has been highly exalted for two millenia, while the throngs of the rich have been forgotten. (Mark 12:41-44).
great article and I loved the comments–from my personal experience I have learned to put my destiny in the Lords hands–if he gives me riches that’s his business–if he does not then that’s his business–I will be content with what he decides to do with my life.
In principle, I fully agree. In practicality I find it more difficult. While it is easy for me to just give (hey, it makes us feel good inside) I become concerned that I’m enabling bad decisions and am actually hurting others. I’ve shied away from giving cash to “street needs” but attempt to carry needed goods (spare coats, water, food items, etc.) in the car so I have items to give if someone needs it. I believe in being quick to help those within the body that have needs. I like Ravi Zacharias’ rendition of an old India proverb: “It is hard to give one a rose to smell after you have cut off their nose to spite them.” We need a heart of compassion and generosity and ears to hear the Spirit guide us to where he would have us invest His property. God help me on this.
Here’s a blog post from my friend and articulates similar thoughts as that of Shane’s.
Happy are the Poor! A Deconstruction of a Gospel Riddle
by: Nestor Ravilas
This is oxymoron at its best. For neither could we find a happy person languishing in poverty nor a destitute man romping in complete jubilation. Language like this is prevalent in religion: more absurd it is, more it is believable. Otherwise there is no room for faith to practice. And, as I made mypoint above, nothing is more absurd than a person that is poor and yet happy.
Happiness indeed is the ultimate goal of every human. None, I assume, would say that her goal is to drag her life between agony and misery. Jesus himself understands this well that made him hoist happiness as the ultimate purpose of his sermon in the mount. He did a good guess of the basic driving force of every human being, but seemingly failed deplorably on his offered path towards it.
In the study of social justice, the onerous part falls always on the search for a just distributive system. Social cooperation threatens by the claim of one faction of a society, usually the smallest group, to the largest portion of the produce of communal labor. This propensity of some for the largest share of the social gain baffles many social thinkers as it drags the largest members of the society into abject scarcity and thus leaving the society in unhealthy imbalance condition. The current trend in the analysis of capitalism tilts into blaming the passage from hunting-gathering lifestyle of our nomad ancestors into sedentary life of agriculture. I doubt however if the territorial-sedentary life indeed caused this “propensity for more,” or it was unwittingly subverted into an efficient tool to accelerate the craving for more to secure happiness of the self to the extreme.
Yes, it is happiness that gives life to this perseverance for more. “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry, “the Rich Fool prides himself. The more plenty you have, the more pleasurable your life would be, and the more you will be happy.
Outside of your gated wall however are the majority of human beings fighting for the morsel left for them. The evil of unjust distributive sharing actually is not some people have taken large portion of the economic pie, but too small was left on the unprivileged majority that could not even sustain a decent life. And as beings created not only with faculty of reason but same with sensibility of emotion, a view of a sick and stricken Lazarus at the gate would surely send a sickening nausea into our veins. Colossal walls that characterized now the exclusive existence of these privileged few could no longer hide the disgusting view of hunger outside these walls and the chafing cry of dying children which made these formidable walls porous. How could you stand then such view of horror from your pompous table?
It was said that the used of gas chamber in exterminating the Jews during the Shoah (Holocaust) was not to make mass murder more efficient and effective. The firing squad which was used at first made the murderers to stand face to face with their victims and able to look directly to their eyes. No amount of political ideology could stand that glance of a human being you are about to murder. This brought a chilling effect to many NAZI soldiers and softened if not disheartened them in the process. The gas chamber was invented to hide the victims from the view of their murderers; to cut this face to face and eye to eye encounter and proceed therefore with the killing without any chance to be affected by the harrowing view of the carnage. After many years, however, Germany remains hunted by its past and painfully dealing still with the collective guilt of their crime against humanity. The cloister of the gas chamber has not made them less guilty of the suffering of the victims;the reeking odor of burning human flesh and the cry of pain and turmoil have indicted them even more of the evil they refused to see face to face.
The world is designed as a home for all of us; otherwise each of us should have been given a planet of her own in the huge galaxy to live completely unaffected. No amount of walls and secured gates could keep us safe from the view of the suffering and hunger of people outside our city. The continuing increase of this imbalance and inequality is dragging us in economic collapse, social unrest, political upheaval, and even ecological chaos. Something must done, we must stop somewhere,we must say no to the temptation of having more for the self – of what Emmanuel Levinas called the horror of too-much-of-the self.
From there we remember the teacher back in Palestine. He could barely find a lofty place in order for his voice to reach as many as he can. “Blessed are the poor in the spirit” he shouted. I like the Matthean rendition where in the qualifier“spirit” appeared, for what Jesus wants to see is not poverty as social condition but the internalization of poverty as principle; the embracing of the spirit of scarcity. I still remember him teaching his disciples how to pray. He said, “Give us this day our daily bread”. I heard someone saying that it reflects the prayer of a daily laborer. But I say no! Jesus was teaching all of us, rich and poor,that we should only be concerned of our daily stipend. Because the moment you start thinking of tomorrow the moment you will start hoarding for tomorrow, for the day after tomorrow, and so on and so forth.
It comes to my mind too his discourse on worrying. How the birds and the flowers live freely each day without the worry of tomorrow’s concern. Because when no one is hoarding, when no one is picking all the fruits and store them in her big barns, you will be sure that after today when you go back to the field tomorrow you will still find plenty of food dangling around every corner. Everyone then is filled, everyone is happy, and you can eat and sleep well knowing that no children will go to sleep tonight without having even ahot water for dinner.
So the word of the sage from Palestine is right; it was actually the way to happiness. Each day we need to live in the spirit of scarcity, we live to tread the path of precariousness, of uncertainty about tomorrow, and learn to live in faith that tomorrow the field remains full of blessings to fill us all for no one is keeping them to herself alone. And this is what biblical faith really means!
Correction: Love God and love our neighbor as ourself is the command we are to follow.
Re-reading my resonse it seems a bit “knee-jerk, probably conditioning from my lack of trust in leaders and my efforts in guarding against the government sanctioned theology of socialism/communism that is so prevalent in our society.
Frank,
Through the years, I’ve heard so many comments from other Christians about money. For instance, one person I know believes with his whole heart that Christians are to live in abject poverty, to demonstrate their love for Christ. Another I know believes that the Israelites were taken into captivity in Babylon because they were rich. Not because they were disobedient, but because they were rich.
God blessed Abraham so he could be a blessing. That’s the whole point of being blessed: so one can be a blessing. And being a blessing may require one to be rich. It depends on how God is going to use that person to be a blessing. But then, one has to be able to define “rich.” Is one rich when one has $10,000? Or is one rich when one has $1M? When does “rich” happen? I have a friend who thinks he is rich when he’s able to go to McDonald’s and buy his own cheeseburger. “Rich” is relative.
Jesus had a money box. He wasn’t living in poverty. Yes, He did say that “foxes have holes,” but Jesus had an administrator of His finances. Granted, Judas pilfered the money box, but it stands to reason that if Judas pilfered, then there was enough in that box to make Judas think about pilfering!
God didn’t have a problem with making Abraham rich because He knew that Abraham was devoted to Him. Jesus didn’t have a problem with having a money box. He wasn’t constantly giving the money away, trying to get rid of it, so He wouldn’t be “tainted” by money. He used it.
Has God called us all to the same plan, the same vision, the same future exploits? We are all called to serve Him, but in vastly different ways and circumstances. Some of those ways will take a lot of money. Some, on the other hand, may not. But life takes money, and if we are to bless others, we need to be able to have enough as “bread for food” and also as “seed for sowing.” (II Cor. (9:8, 10) None of us really require much bread (and I can attest to the fact that some of us, myself especially, eat too much bread), but the plans God has for some of us will require a lot of seed for sowing.
I just think that as Christians we need to make sure we don’t despise money. Yes, the love of money is the root of all evil. But the proper handling of money means that one can’t despise it either. It’s to be used for the kingdom, and not hated, not considered evil or dirty.
The last two paragraphs of the article were great. I wish the author had started with that story, and built from there. The joy of sharing stems from our love for the Father, and all He has done for us. If we will focus on that, and realize that we are blessed to be a blessing, then we will have a proper perspective on being “rich.”
Blessings to you.
I definitely support the key components of the things that Shane teaches in this article:
1. Christians out of their love should be generous in meeting the needs of those in need
2. Christians must be on guard against the very real danger of falling in love with money
3. Our world and our country in particular is out of whack in regards to the handling of wealth which should not be a surprise to any believer since much of “Christianity” in America is not based on kingdom living principles.
Based on what I have heard, I also want to note that I hold the work of Shane, Mother Theresa and others in very high regard. I am thankful for what they have done and are doing.
With that being said, my concern is this article doesn’t present a balanced view of the scriptures or other issues we face in everyday life. For example,
o As we Christians often do, the scriptures referenced here are sometimes used in a proof texting way. Both the examples of Exodus 16 and the book of Acts try to make a general teaching out of a specific situation. The people of God in Exodus 16 where in a very specific situation where that had to depend on God totally. They were nomads in a barren land. God did provide for them on a daily basis, but this was not an ongoing provision for the rest of time. It changed once they entered the abundance of the Promised Land. (Of course, this doesn’t take away from the fact that all provision is ultimately from God.) In the early book of Acts, the special situation was the provision for thousands of people who were far away from their homes and their jobs. I’m not sure there is adequate evidence that Christians always lived in a socialistic-like state.
o Additionally, Shane appeals to “a constant thread in the Scripture” based on a simple sound bite. Other quotes from early Christians are unclear where they come from and what authority they should carry relative to the scriptures themselves.
o The article is also note broad enough in presentation. It does not for example balance these core teachings (which are true) with the ideas taught by Paul that someone who will not work should not eat. I have personally experienced Christians who are unwilling to be responsible for their part of working for a living; and yet they expect other Christians to provide for them. I would be concerned that such an unbalanced presentation might falsely provide them with justification for their actions.
o The article also leaves us wondering about important decisions in life. For example, does the “daily bread” theme imply that it is wrong to prepare for retirement? Does it mean that having more in the bank than is needed for a day is not loving? There are lot of teaching in Proverbs that seem to say otherwise. Industry, stewardship, saving and the like seem to have some value in the Bible.
These are just my thoughts. I don’t want to be negative or argumentative. I certainly don’t disrespect Shane or others that I don’t even know. But I think we need to be very careful how we handle the scriptures. May all of us we give each other the grace needed to grow in our love and understanding.
Thankyou Frank. The heart. Jesus always wants the heart, wherein lies a truly free person. Giving says l am you and you are me. We are Christ. We are each others daily bread. We are the bread and the wine broken for each other. The Master lays the example, then we follow. Living in a wealthy nation it is not something you do as a token (help the poor) then return to your oppulence. We are the ice- cream! Clearly there is heavenly accounting, fair scales. Your heart Is measured. Not in a condemning way. We are becoming, more like Jesus. Reasoning that you shall build bigger barns is wordly practical and Kingdom foolish. Solomon holds the heart keys in dealings with The Lord and learning from his father Davids heart with God. There are matters in life which have Gods constant attention. We are to major in these to graduate eternity. Love of riches is a trap and the devil is the willing banker. Dont fall for it. God Bless
Reading this from a Socio political perspective and agree in principle.
Jesus told the Pharisees: “But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you” and was strong on looking after the poor.
On the other hand Jesus made the comment that “the poor you will always have with you” when He was being annointed with expensive perfume. This was a response to the corrupt heart of Judas who was looking for a political Messiah as a solution to the problem of Rome.
Having spent a bit of time in the third world and with the poor I am wondering whether the problem of poverty is not merely one of haves and have nots but one of the heart.
It is when I turn my heart towards Christ that he prompts me to do what He wills with my life. Certainly He calls me to lay down my life for my neighbour but people do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God, and it is the heart in relationship with Him that counts.
Very interesting article. My father was well off and knew how to thrive when others just weren’t making it. The men in our family including the brother in laws, reaped the advantages of this but the sisters did not. That’s just how it worked in that culture. Women were expected to get married and be taken care of by their husbands. The “boys” were groomed to be the suppliers. When my husband, who was reaping the benefits of my fathers wealth, walked out on our marriage so did the benefits. I was literally left penniless with two children to raise. I could have all kinds of reasons to be angry, resentful, jealous etc. Instead I continued to have normal relationships with everyone. To this day in my old age, I can not even afford to turn my heat on in winter; I turn it on just to take the chill off. When it gets noticed they will say things like … “it’s ridiculous that you don’t turn your heat on” with no offer to help out with the bill. I know it’s wrong; God knows it’s wrong and someday they will know it was wrong. In the meantime God supplies all my “needs” and if I ever come into money, no one I know will ever go without the necessities of life. People both rich and poor need Jesus. Sometimes money covers up our need for God and other times people let God use their money to enrich the lives of others. It depends on how closely one is related to the Lord. In the end God will have His say and His way in how He judges both the rich and the poor by how each of us lived here on earth.
Beautifully said Nancy.
I recently wrote a post on my blog titled Growing Deeper in Christ by Living Simply. The lesson I’ve been learning and have talked with others experiencing the same thing, is that as we are growing deeper in knowing Christ and living by His life, the desire to accumulate things goes away. I no longer desire to have things just to have them, to achieve some kind of status, or to make me feel good.
But the root of it is what is in the heart. If having the things of this world eclipse your relationship to Christ and what He is calling you to do, then those issues need to be dealt with. While I do think a follower of Christ can be rich and still serve the Lord wholeheartedly, money does cause many to fall away from the Lord. You can’t serve two masters, as Jesus said.
I think it is obvious in reading through the Scriptures (OT and NT) that God is concerned for those that have less, and that he wants those who have more to help them. There are many OT passages in which God instructs His people to provision for the poor and needy. Jesus must have made a practice of giving money to the poor, or when Mary poured her oil on Jesus’ feet the disciples would not have said, “why wasn’t that sold and given to the poor”. In Acts the church is providing for the widows and orphans.
But I don’t think we should feel guilty for owning something nice or expensive, given that our heart is for God, and obtaining that thing doesn’t cause harm to others (putting your family in financial crisis, for example).
As Shane stated, “Generosity cannot be forced. It cannot be legislated. It has to be provoked… by love.” As we grow deeper in Christ by pursuing Him, His generosity will grow in us and become and expression of Him in the world.
Perfect timing for this post, Frank, because it’s exactly where God has been wrestling with me. I love this article for many reasons, mainly because it challenges me in my own personal life.
I have been working with teens at an inner-city ministry, and their home situations have been breaking my heart. I have such an abundance, while they live in homes packed with people, and the kids eat dried Ramen noodles to fill their bellies longer. They live in single-parent homes, or homes where families merge to live in small, one-bedroom apartments to survive. Horrendous living conditions. Abuse, neglect, starvation, disgusting living conditions, drug and alcohol abuse….you name it, it’s merged with a life of poverty. It’s chaos. Poverty chaos.
Yet I struggle with what kind of help is really helpful to people in poverty. Is giving food, grocery store gift cards, or money helping them temporarily or long-term? The ministry I’m involved with offers all kinds of services to kids, teens and adults, including life skill classes, English classes, computer skill classes, work training, job finding assistance, Bible studies, academic tutoring and college/trade prep classes, etc. This ministry is linked to another that provides goods for the poverty-stricken–food, clothing, household goods, etc. This program invests in the poor to not throw money at them but help them out of poverty and into a better life. But those in poverty have to partner with this ministry. They have to show up for God to bless them.
Our city has many, many ministries (most funded by churches) for poor people to move beyond poverty, including skill training programs, long-term mentorship programs and one-one counseling. In our city, we have beautiful homes that offer free boarding, food and counseling for young, pregnant moms, and also homes for single moms where they can live for free (childcare provided or paid for) while the mom pursues a degree to obtain a better job. The moms get college grant money and free weekly one-on-one and group counseling (spiritual, financial, parental, academic, life skills, etc.).
My church community strongly supports ministries related to the biblical “least of these,” including a home for single moms, the family ministry that I’m involved in, and an anti-sex trade ministry (plus other international ministries). Our congregation not only gives money but is VERY involved in hands-on work as volunteers. Every church activity we have revolves around those in need in our city–the hurting, the victims, the poor, the hungry, the unclothed, the widows, the ones in prison, etc. I serve and give from my community, not individually, for the most part. My husband and I definitely help many people on an as-needed basis, and my husband owns his own company and helps out his employees continuously, but honestly, we have found that being involved in people’s lives on a long-term basis forms a better platform to really effect change in a person’s life–to really make a difference in bettering a person’s life situation. We could hand out our money until we were poor, but the poor would still be poor because they don’t know how not to be poor. They are ill-equipped unless the receive help learning new ways of making decisions and handling life outside of poverty.
So, I question rather this issue is more related to what our community is pulling together to do to help the poor than whether it’s OK for a person to be rich or not. There were rich people in the Bible, and it seems that God intentionally blesses people with riches (For ex: Abraham-Gn 3:12: “Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.” Also, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Jehoshaphat & Hezekiah are other examples where God blesses them with wealth. NT “rich people” include Lydia, Joseph-called Barnabas, the Roman Centurion believer and Joseph of Arimathea). First Timothy 6:17 is interesting: “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” This verse is also interesting: “The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts” (1 Sam 2:7). And Ecc. 5:19 is telling about God’s gifting of wealth: “Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God.” We see Scripture that represents God as the giver of wealth and power, as a good gift.
But as stated in the article, riches and Christianity most often collide. Money can so easily be our snare (1 Tim 6:9). We can easily forget the “our” mentality and give our leftovers. We can hoard money and make idols of what we buy with money. We can bask in our own riches while keeping a blind eye to the multitudes around the world who suffer from poverty. “For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked'” (Rev 3:17).
The issue, to me, is a broader issue that individual wealth, although I certainly agree that we (I) need to be prodded to think about our attachment to money, our use of money and our greediness with money. But it seems that in community we can really sort out the poverty mess. The early church seemed to do this quite well. The poverty issue is so massive and widespread now that it takes massive communities of all sorts of people (humanitarians, Christians, governments, etc.) to handle the issue. Yes, it starts with the individual and God transforming our hearts to let go of our money and share it if we have more than we need. But it takes a community committed to being involved in poor people’s lives to really impact poor people’s lives.
Throwing money at the poor has shown to be ineffective. We have plenty of statistics now how our Western efforts of giving money and goods at the people in poverty-stricken third-world countries really does no good. So when it gets down to it, we Christians need not only to open up our wallets more generously, but maybe even more importantly, we need to open up our time more generously and share ourselves–give our time to invest in the poor, the single moms, the orphaned kids–those in societies across the globe who without aid, will simply not survive or thrive. That’s when real self-sacrifice happens, when we give of ourselves, and that is also when we really make a dent in poverty, maybe one person at a time.
So although I love so much about this article, I think there is a larger perspective to the issue that must be addressed. We must give our money freely, but we must also give of ourselves freely. This is how we bring the kingdom of God down to the kingdom of earth, as Jesus prayed in what we dub “The Lord’s Prayer.” God wants us to enter into other’s chaos so that we can bring the Prince of Peace, Jesus, into their lives. When we give our money AND our time, we are being the hands and feet of Jesus. We are kingdom-bringers and light-bearers to a dark, hopeless world.
Frank, thanks for this thought-provoking article!
I agree with what Shane is saying here wholeheartedly. He stated that this generosity can not be legislated but the scriptures have such a profound way of changing people that many have taken the teachings about giving and feel justified to bring it into their politics. The thinking goes this way: if giving is good and it is from God then let’s integrate the ideas and concepts of giving into society as a whole. Giving then becomes a way of controlling people through legislation instead of through the heart which is what Jesus intended in the first place. If giving is legislated it becomes a tool to divide people into categories by indicating who is generous and who is not. This will ultimately fail and do more harm than good.
Regarding, “God did not create one person rich and another poor.” That’s not quite true. Some people are born brilliant, incredibly gifted in the flesh giving them the potential to excel. The simple truth is that some people are much more capable of making money. That being said, “To him whom much is given, much is required.” Some folks make money by teaching the word, then respond by giving back to the needy. Others choose to enrich the spiritually needy by teaching for free. But he who makes more than enough from teaching and keeps it all to himself is the worst teacher of all. Generously sharing the fruit and wealth of your God given talent with others is the best way to say thanks to the Lord.
I appreciate this post very much. After having read most of Frank’s books, I have a greater respect for balance in my theological discussions (think libertinism v legalism). I believe the author does a masterful job of seeking balance and avoiding the extremes (prosperity v poverty). I am particularly enamored with the “Theology of Enough.” This principle is definitely rooted in scripture. I also found that his recalibrating our motivation from guilt to the joy of sharing was refreshing. I have much to meditate on about having enough and my own willingness to share with others.
P.S. It was not until I read this article that I realized the communitarian principle found in the Lord’s prayer/Model prayer. Give “us…our daily.” I always personalized this prayer and contorted it to fit the rugged individual ethic of Western culture.
I like his comments about sharing being a part of who we are as Christians, but I’m a bit bothered by the scarcity mentality. Of course we are to be generous, but to insist that if we have more than we need we must have “taken” or “stolen” it is overreaching and extra-Biblical. Ironically, it motivates through guilt and shame instead of the life of Christ expressing itself in and through us.
More troubling, though, is his handling of Scripture. The author includes texts that support his point, but omits others pertinent to the subject that may not support what he’s saying, like Acts 4:5 in which Peter explicitly states that Ananias and Sapphira’s assets were their own to do with as they pleased. Scripture clearly explains that they were struck dead because they lied, not because they withheld their property. And what about Solomon? Or Philemon?
But worse than the omissions, is the twisting of the Exodus text. Commenting on the daily manna collection, Claiborne writes, “to remind folks not to stockpile for tomorrow WHILE FOLKS DON’T HAVE ENOUGH FOR TODAY.” He added that last phrase, departing from what the text actually said, “that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.”
Thank you, Vickie, for expressing my very thoughts on this article. I would add that Shane omitted the truth that Abraham was quite wealthy and Abraham’s blessings are ours…..a principle that does not conflict with generosity and compassionate giving. If the Body of Christ is either sick or broke, evangelism is not likely to be alive and well.
And, just another thought….God in Scripture is a God of “more than enough” always……there were leftovers every time He fed the multitudes…..
Shane really flirts with “taking the “isms” and adding a some proof texts about compassion. It IS all about love and that’s why God’s not about want and lack….He IS love. Being compelled to give and share by righteous indignation is not the same thing as giving and sharing compelled by love….But Abraham’s blessings are ours……..selah.
I agree Frank. It is all about love.
Augustine said: “Love and do what you want”. Love first so you can’t go wrong.
We are called to be the body of Christ. His bride and physical body on the earth, extending the love of God to our neighbors.
Individual wealth is not the issue. Jesus may intend for a person to bless a large people group with their resources – and that might mean they have great wealth. So, it is not for us to judge whether a person has “too much” wealth.
The LOVE of money is a root of all evil. How we manage our resources and wealth is a matter of the heart and our heart is between us and God.
This is absolutely perfect! Thanks so much for posting. I’ve tried to express this idea and other Christians have looked at me like I was crazy. Yes, it’s radical to today’s thinking, but Christianity done right is down right radical!