"We live in a culture motivated by one major goal-- a little more. We work too hard and make too little. We have more than enough to live complicated lives, but less than enough to be contented." Isn't it interesting (or maybe just plain amazing!) that Beth Moore puts into words about 7 years ago precisely what I've been learning over the last 2 1/2 years? Coincidence? I think not!
God is calling each of us to this place of surrendering everything...absolutely everything. And what I'm sensing over and over again is this undercurrent in our American churches that there just has to be more than what we've allowed ourselves to believe. Books being written by Francis Chan, David Platt, Donald Miller, Shane Claiborne, Rich Stearns and others; entire churches going through books like Crazy Love, Radical and studies in James and Philippians that are making them call into question exactly where their priorities (and thus, money) should be placed; as well as, the discontent that I hear, see and read in so many lives that just know there has to be more to this life, makes me ask, "God what are You doing? This is not random...I know! You are creating a groundswell of Your people that desire above all else to be sold out and surrendered to You and You alone. What amazing things do You have planned?"
I know I'm going to offend some people here, but capitalism is NOT the teaching of Jesus. I watched a documentary a few months ago from a very liberal filmmaker in which he interviewed a few priests about this question..."Is capitalism Christian?" Without hesitation the priest, the bishop and the archbishop each said "No!" 'And in fact, it's often the exact opposite,' they added.
Have we allowed ourselves to confuse capitalism with democracy? Capitalism is a grasping for more...the opposite of what Jesus lived and taught. While democracy is freedom. Obviously, democracy is much more in tune with what Jesus offered us...possibly that's why so many nations fight and die for it!? And maybe God's creating a discontentment with chasing after "things" in His people so that we'll shake it off and get angry enough with the evil and injustice in the world to stand up and say "Enough! No matter the cost, no matter the pain, no matter the shame, I will serve the LORD!"
These past two days, Beth Moore's study guided me to Ecclesiastes, a book written by King Solomon and it's not a pretty picture of a rich man's reflections. As Dale said last night, Christian financial gurus like to quote all of the cute little phrases from Proverbs about how amassing wealth is wise and only the foolish live for the day...but these "gurus" don't often quote the reflective Solomon that in his old age said things like,
(Okay, I just have to insert the irony here that my iPod just randomly started playing, "Money, Money, Money", the Abba song from Mama Mia. Ha! Father, You have a great sense of humor!!!)
"Meaningless! Meaningless!
Says the Teacher (Solomon)
Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless!" (Ecc. 1:2)
"I have seen all things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind." (Ecc. 1:14)
"Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool?" (Ecc. 2:18-19a)
"The sleep of a laboring man is sweet,
Whether he eats little or much;
But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep.
There is severe evil which I have seen under the sun;
Riches kept for their owner to his hurt.
But those riches perish through misfortune;
When he begets a son, there is nothing in his hand.
As he came from his mother's womb, naked shall he return,
To go as he came;
And he shall take nothing from his labor
Which he may carry away in his hand." (Ecc. 5:12-15)
As I read the beginning of this chapter 5 passage to Dale last night, he said, 'I can verify that (about sweet sleep). Since I've left Fifth Third, I've probably only had five to ten nights that I had trouble sleeping. When I was at Fifth Third, I lost a lot of sleep.'
How can a couple that doesn't know where the rent money will come from have sweet sleep? Only when we believe God at His Word!
But even back in Proverbs, King Solomon said this,
"Better is a little with the fear of the LORD,
Thank great treasure with trouble.
Better is a dinner of vegetables where love is,
Than a fatted calf with hatred." (Prov. 15:16-17)
You better believe I just put verse 17 on our dining area white board...one MORE proof to my kids that vegetarianism or veganism is the way to go! Hah!
But seriously, if you just look at this without strict application to dietary guidelines, I WAS for years feeding my children with the "fat of the calf" yet instilling in them bitterness and hatred and even a compulsion to have more. When we began to have little or in this verse, "vegetables" I can truly say there is MUCH more love in our home! I'm not focused on taking care of "stuff" as much as I used to be...which frees up more energy just to be a wife, mother and child of God.
A dear friend said to me last summer when we were trying to get rid of the garage space we were renting "Just the mental energy it takes to keep track of all that stuff is exhausting!" And she was right. How many times have a yelled at my kids over the years for not taking care of their "stuff"? When really, isn't taking care of our souls, hearts and minds for God MUCH more important??
At the end of this lesson, I read an amazing passage in I Timothy 6:6-10: "6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced temselves through with many sorrows."
Now, I have heard verse 10 discussed many times. And Christians are always quick to point out that it's the "love of money" not the money itself that is the root of all kinds of evil. I guess I'd first point out that I don't think I've EVER heard this verse taught in the context of the preceding four verses, but, I also take issue with this theory. While grammatically, it's a true statement, I've never known anyone that struggled with the "love" of money, unless they had too much of it to spare. And believe me, this is directed back at myself too!!
I really don't know that many very wealthy people...but I know a whole lot of people that have way more than enough.
And what does Paul say in verse 8? "And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content." Even in our economically depressed circumstances, I can't honestly say that this is true for me. I notice he didn't include a home (or even shelter!) in this statement. Could that be because Paul knew God would provide a place with fellow believers for him to sleep or it just wasn't a priority? After all, if the "Son of Man has no place to lay His head" (Luke 9:58) as a follower of the Son of Man, why would Paul expect any differently?? Yes, this IS a scary thought for a mother with four children and truthfully, I'm still struggling with the thought that it IS possible to sink even lower than we already have.
In the meantime, as long as God allows, we will continue to endeavor to give out of the little bit of abundance that we have. For this week, it's buying some items for a Alabama Tornado Disaster Relief that our church is doing. Wow! Just when I think my situation is pitiable, I see others with even less than we have. We really are blessed, aren't we?
And Beth Moore concludes the day with these words of promise and hope: "He knows our needs. He knows our vulnerabilities. He knows what we can endure...yet remain faithful. All things are His to give and His to take, but never ours to pursue. Our is to gladly recieve and gladly return."
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34)
Amen!
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