Self-sufficiency is central to everyone's dream. If we pick the right company, work hard, and impress our bosses, we will succeed in our work. We will get promoted, receive bonuses, and our stock options will be valuable. Self-sufficiency sometimes deceives us into thinking that we are in control. But then an economic downturn happens. We lose our job and our income evaporates. Or we experience the death of a spouse, parent, child, or close friend. Not only do we grieve for our loss, but we are anxious about our mortality.
We are not happy with social and economic status. We are unhappy with our leaders, with our spouse, our children, or the things that we have. Our house is too small, our TV is an older model and our smartphone doesn’t have the latest technology. How can someone find contentment in such a restless world? Why can’t we seem to find the contentment that we’re looking for? We look to fill the void with possessions or money, but we only end up wanting more. We try to fill it with relationships or drugs or alcohol or sex, but we end up feeling even more empty and depressed than when we started.
The Psalmist says “I Shall not want.” meaning I shall not lack or want anything. “Not wanting” speaks to the sufficiency in life. We become sufficient only when we trust that the Good Shepherd is able to provide regardless of the circumstances. We can lean on Him, if we lose our job, get sick, if we have a problem with a relationship, if our finances go awry, or even if we are anxious or suffering through a pandemic. Not wanting anything is a natural result of acknowledging that God is our Shepherd. It means putting Him first, relying on Him, not on our efforts. We are not in control, as the coronavirus outbreak is teaching us. But if we have God as our Shepherd and put Him at the center of our life, rather than ourselves, we can live a “life without want.”, a full life – a life without want.
Most of the world thinks that wealth is the basis of satisfaction and sufficiency. Wealth is necessary and not bad. When wealth becomes the end goal, and the reason for our being, we end up being discontent because wealth was never meant to fulfill us. Wealth is “like sea water: the more you drink, the thirstier you become”, said philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. The only place that we can really find true fulfillment and contentment is in God. True contentment isn’t something that we find in things, people or circumstances, it can only be discovered in our convictions.
We are to live within our means. Love of money and posessions can lead to enormous debt, that will get out of control real fast. Many banking systems are setup to allude you to extravagant credit options with the result of getting hooked up into a vicious state of never ending loans. Their interest rates will change without notice that you will not be able to pay off the loans in a life time. We ought to have a budget to make sure we live within our income. If you plan to donate or save money on a monthly basis, that will be your priority first before allocating expenses. Set Apart the giving and the donations before you start planning on expenses and spending. Giving to church, charity or saving for future must come first before you make provisions for spending. St. Paul said, "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:11-13).
A lot of people think that we should not talk about money and giving in the church. They think that giving is between them and God, which is true. But the church is made of the people of God. So it becomes a matter between them and the church also. As Jesus was carefully watching who was giving and how much, he was also teaching what sacrificial giving is how it is important. The church has a responsibility to teach about sacrificial giving. A preacher of the love of Jesus also will be a teacher on sacrificial service and giving. Leaders of the church need to know what and how people give. Sacrificial giving of our time, talents and wealth is important to have a healthy church spiritually and financially.
The Bible gives great importance in managing wealth. We see this in many places both in Old and New Testaments.
James 5:1-6 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
Proverbs 11:28 He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf.
Luke 8:14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.
Proverbs 11:4 Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
Proverbs 30: 7-9 "give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God."
Luke 3:14 And some soldiers were questioning him (John the baptist), saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.”
Proverbs 23:4-5 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.
Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
Psalm 34:10b Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
I believe church is the place where we should talk about money, giving and caring. The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, said it best: "There is one way, and there is no other under heaven. If those who gain all they can, and save all they can, will likewise give all they can, then the more they gain, the more they will grow in grace, and the more treasure they will lay up in heaven." At his death the only possessions John Wesley left behind were two silver tea spoons and an overcoat.
Recognizing that life is a gift from God also means that life is to be spent on blessing this world. Our time is short in this world. Our time, wealth, posessions and health are all gifts to be used to bless this world while we are here. When we realize that the world is bigger than ourselves, we find out that there are others who are out there whose needs are greater than our own. We will learn to think of a life that is greater than ourselves. To be to content means caring and compassionate to others, respecting and meeting the needs of the suffering people without being judgmental. During the disasters and pandemics, we have seen many examples of people at the front lines risking their lives to care for and save other people. Such sacrifice happens when we are “other” oriented, not self-oriented. Faith in God teaches us to care for others. With God at the center of our lives, we become “others” centered, not self-centered. We are caring, not inconsiderate; humble, not arrogant; exhibit integrity, not dishonesty. Paul exhorted the Ephesian church leaders, "I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’" (Acts 20:35).
Timothy 6:6-12, Paul says, "But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."
When the Lord is the Shephered, the sheep will not want anything.
Comments
Post a Comment