Money Matters

cashWell, as part of this challenge to blog every single day in November, I’m supposed to post about money at least once this week.

Problem for me is that I rarely find much reason to talk about money in this blog. I’ve talked about tithing once or twice and I’ve talked about the love of money being the root of much of the evil in the world, but it’s just not a topic I think about much.

Maybe that’s because I don’t really have any right now.

Also, it’s because while I have a lot to say about faith, sex, churchgoing, sex, God’s love, Jesus, doing right by others, porn, sex, and so many other varied topics, money just doesn’t ring with me much in addressing matters of Christianity or the relationship of Christians to the world. People who have (or enjoy) prosperity ministries or the Word of Faith movement love to talk them some money stuff, because they often assume if you have enough faith and pray right, you’ll get your check from God.

Yeah.

But, I’ve got to talk about money. So here goes:

You need some.

Damn, you want more than that? OK.

Here’s the thing. We are exhorted in the New Testament that we should not be of the world, even though we have to live in the world. This extends to money as well. We need money to survive. And if we prosper, it’s always nice to give the credit to God and testify to our blessings (while reminding ourselves that not all our faithful brethren are also so blessed). But we shouldn’t fixate on money.

It won’t do to take the passages about how God will take care of our needs too literally. If we expect God to just hand us what we need, what we’ll get is a nice comfy cardboard box in an alley. Clearly, we need to work, and we need to seek ways to make a good living. And we look to God to fill in our gaps and bless us to advance and prosper in our work over the long run.

But don’t chase after money. That path so often leads to drifting. Drifting away. Away from helping others. Away from family. Away from God and His Word.

(Figured with people gearing up for the holidays, might as well knock this topic off today, since Lord only knows how many of you will bother checking any blogs, mine or otherwise, until after “Turkey Day.” For those of you not in the United States and unfamiliar, Thursday of this week is the Thanksgiving Day Holiday. Google it if you need to. It’s basically a day of gorging and watching American football.)

(Thanksgiving Day itself will bring a special holiday installment of “Acts of the Hummus Idol.” Will also be whipping out two more installments of the Cleansed By Fire novel soon, most likely one on Friday and another one on Sunday or Monday.)

One thought on “Money Matters

  1. The First Domino

    Brother Blue, I’ve noticed no comments on this one. Let me take a crack. I admit that I’m a little obsessive about power, money, and fame. I can’t seem to get enough of either. It’s really all about perspective though.

    Power: I desire it, not to have power over, but power with, so that it might be used to counter its misuse at home and abroad.

    Money: I desire it, not for money sake, but to use it to bring a measure of hope to the lives of those without it, by way of carefully targeted largesses.

    Fame: I desire it, not to exalt myself, but those things with which I’m passionate about: the eradication of extreme hunger, the preservation of certain world resources, and the protection of the planet, including endangered wildlife.

    So to attract power, money (supply), and fame, I bless them, and I continually open myself to the omnipresent reality of them, being careful not send them away by inadvertently cursing them.

    I’m well aware that what I curse, will curse me, and what I bless, will bless me.

    Namaste

    Reply

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