I am concerned that many people using the language of “stewardship” today are, in reality, operating out of greed. They mask their greed with a facade of spirituality.
In case I just shocked you by that statement, you should know that I do believe that the Bible has much to say about how we should handle our money, and I do believe there is great value in studying Biblical principles with respect to money. I have personally benefited from the widely popular and intensely practical teaching of Dave Ramsey and his Financial Peace University .
Many other organizations and speakers also provide the service of educating people to manage their finances more wisely and motivating them to do so. In our time of financial instability many people are eager to learn how they can make their dollars go further.
While I am all for earning a decent income, budgeting, saving and investing wisely as a “good steward”, I have a growing concern that some of those who have adopted the language of “stewardship” are in fact motivated and motivating others by greed.
Recently at an educational seminar I attended I heard many speakers invoke God in some way and try to give credit to the Bible for their teaching on personal finance. They talked about their involvement in charity work, and their desire to help people. Yet one speaker flaunted pictures of his 40,000 square foot house, and another used pictures of luxury cars and speed boats to motivate people toward setting financial goals and achievement of those goals. In the end their teaching and references to God felt hollow.
In the prosperous West there seems to be so much confusion about the Biblical view of money among those who even care about following a Biblical view. Some seem to think money itself is evil, instead of “the love of money“, while others appear to make success and wealth an identifying mark of genuine Christian faith.
Both views are unbiblical. (For a fully developed theology of possessions see Craig Blomberg’s Neither Poverty Nor Riches.)
Though it’s certainly not my place to draw fine lines for others about exactly “how much is too much”, I do think all Christians should be much more discerning and on guard against the sin of greed. Jesus emphatically warned us to “Watch out! Be on guard against all forms of greed.” (Luke 12:15)
Paul lists greed right along with sexual immorality as things the faithful Christian should avoid. In the New Testament epistles Paul makes reference to the evils of greed eight times and Peter mentions it three times! In Ephesians 5:3 Paul says, “among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” In my experience, I’ve heard this passage quoted many times as a warning against impurity and immorality, but I can’t remember of even one time I heard it referenced as a warning against greed!
Paul says that “some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith”! (I Timothy 6:10) I fear that in our day, many unaware believers are being led astray in their eagerness to be rich. In doing so they begin serving a master other than Jesus. Instead of making much of Jesus, such behavior reveals to those around us what god we really serve.
In the end we should search our hearts as Christians, confess any secret sin of greed, and ask God to help us use the resources he entrusted to us in a way that most honors Him. May we say with Paul, “godliness with contentment is great gain”, and really mean it from the heart.
All across the U.S. 
This past Thursday night we had our last campus meeting of the fall semester. I was driving in just in time for the meeting after being out of town for a two day leadership conference in Jacksonville.
I believe God wants us to experience secure, fulfilling, and lasting relationships.
Swamp Christianity
February 4th, 2010 No comments »This picture looks disgusting doesn’t it? It’s a section of swamp land that I often pass while running on a local nature trail. (I’m only showing it to make a point.)
Looking at this swamp while I was jogging recently got me thinking about what I’ll call “Swamp Christianity”.
Followers of Christ are instructed by Jesus to receive of his “living water” (John 4). However they aren’t supposed to let it stop with them. They are sent out on mission to take that “water” to others preaching the gospel in both word and deed.
Unfortunately too many Christians focus so much on getting more for themselves, that in essence they become spiritual gluttons. They take no real action to meet the spiritual drought going on in their communities, neighborhoods or campuses, but continue to try to soak up more knowledge and more religious activity for themselves.
They are like those who are “always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:7)
Just like a swamp, where water flows in but not out, these people stagnate in their faith. They don’t give-out the way that they need to in order to be truly healthy, and instead become a breeding ground for all kinds of unattractive things (ie. offense, rudeness, jealosy, spiritual pride).
Are you allowing the love of Christ and the spirit of God to flow through you, or are you a part of Swamp Christianity?
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Posted in Cultural Commentary, Reflections, Running
Tags: spiritual stagnation