Money: A Blibical Point of View
The problem with money is that it makes you do things you don't want to do.
WALL STREET, THE MOVIE
A faithful man will be richly blessed ... PROVERBS 28:20
... Whether rich or poor, everyone needs money. The more money we have themore we need. Solomon said, "As goods increase, so do those who consumethem" (Ecclesiastes 5:11). More money only brings more responsibilities.The poor sometimes have an advantage over the rich -- they still cling tothe illusion that money will make them happy. Why do well-meaningChristians have such a wide diversity of opinions about how to handle theirmoney?
Three Perspectives of Prosperity
The Bible is chock-full of teachings about money and possessions. Most ofus, however, only have a partial grasp, or perspective, of God's moneyprinciples.
[There is] a range of theological perspectives which are commonplace today.They are represented on a continuum, because an endless number ofperspectives can be discovered if you talk to enough people. Everyone, itseems, has their own unique opinion -- many of which can be backed up byspecific verses from the Bible.
The three prevailing perspectives are poverty theology, stewardship theologyand prosperity theology. This latter one is sometimes championed as theprosperity gospel.
Difficulties arise because a case can be built for each of these threeperspectives. The problem, however, is that God intended only onetheology -- not a menu of options to choose from, depending on individualtastes and preferences. How do different perspectives arise?
Most of us decide what we want to do, and then look for evidence to supportthe decision we have already made. That isn't very objective! We can callit "cherrypicking" the Bible -- looking for verses we like and ignoringverses we would rather not be there.
We also kid, trick, and fool ourselves when we "wink" at Scripture. Inother words, we see and we understand, but our powerful self-will persuadesus to simply ignore the truth.
To arrive at God's perspective, a man must be willing to look at the wholecounsel of God -- the whole Bible -- and be willing to set aside hispreconceived ideas ...
Poverty Theology
The disciple of poverty theology is disgusted with worldliness, bestsymbolized by man's obsession with money. He believes possessions are acurse and has rejected materialism in any and every form. A strong biastoward helping the poor exists, but he has few, if any, resources toactually help with a solution. A few guilty Christians with wealth may alsofall into this category, especially if they inherited their money ...
Prosperity Theology
The disciple of prosperity theology believes you have not because you asknot. They often have learned about tithing and have experienced thematerial blessings available by following the tithing principle. Because oftheir success with tithing, a preoccupation with money develops.
The prosperity disciple soon begins to explain the lacking of others notexperiencing God's financial blessings as a lack of faith. The otherdimensions of a relationship with God become, somehow, less significant.Someone who is not doing well financially is looked upon as not "reachingout and claiming their blessings." No room is allowed for God to call somepeople to be poor. Many disciples of prosperity theology live consumptivelifestyles.
Stewardship Theology
Stewards believe God owns and controls everything. Possessions are aprivilege and not a right; the steward gives up his rights. He readsScripturre to say possessions are a trust given in varying proportions,depending upon the innate, God-given abilities he has and his faithfulnessand obedience to follow biblical principles. The steward believesprosperity results from faithfully administering his talents, as given byGod in His sole discretion.
His preoccupation is not with accumulating wealth or renouncing it, but withbeing wise in the conduct of his affairs. His gola is to be like the mandescribed in Psalm 112: "Good will come to him who is generous and lendsfreely, who conducts his affairs with justice ... He has scattered abroadhis gifts to the poor ..." (Psalm 112:5,9).
Which one is the right choice? From the three descriptions we have justfashioned, you can see why confusion is possible. Depending on yourupbringing, the influences upon your life, and how you want to interpret theBible, any of these three perspectives could seem unquestionably logical toyou. But does that mean all three are correct? No, God has only oneperspective, and it is the perspective of a steward. Closer examinationreveals the perspectives of poverty and prosperity theology are rife withflaws.
Leaks in the Dike
The prosperity gospel doesn't hold water because it claims you can give toget. The theory is that you can create a binding transaction on God inwhich He is obligated to bless you. This view disregards your motives,whether or not you are living in sin, and God's plan for your life.
... Poverty theology is equally full of holes. The person who thinks youmust be poor to be humble is mistaken. He doesn't understand God's mandateto be industrious and to make full use of his abilities, in whateverproportion they have been given. Since he has never had money, or didn'thave to earn it, he is categorically suspicious of anyone who has attainedfinancial success. He believes true Christians should sell theirpossessions and give the proceeds to the poor ...
The Best of All Three
Stewardship theology weaves the virtues of prosperity and poverty theologytogether with the balance of God's Word about money and possessions. Inother words, much of poverty and prosperity theology is sound; it is in themaking of a total point of view where error comes into play. Stewardshiptheology would be impotent if it did not include the beautiful promise ofGod's blessings and the admonitions to care for the poor.
We could list hundreds of Scripture to illustrate stewardship theology but,in the end, all we would possess is a long list of rules and regulations.Being a steward is more of an attitude, a way of looking at life as acaretaker. It is an approach to our faith -- it's looking out not only forour own interests but also for the interests of others.
The shortcomings of poverty and prosperity theology are that they do not go far enough. When you host a dinner party, the preparations and cleanup are as important as enjoying your friends and the meal. You must include both work and reward.
Poverty theology exaggerates the role of sacrificial work, while prosperity gospel overemphasizes the pursuit of financial rewards. The steward leads a balanced life, enjoying God's abundance while always serving others in love ...
... Have you been trying to serve both God and money? Have you been cherrypicking or winking at what the Bible says about money? Ask God to forgive you for living by your own ideas, and ask Him to lead you to a proper prespective of money. Ask Him to increase your biblical IQ on money. When you become a faithful steward, God will guide you into an abundant life, and that's the gospel truth.
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what itsays. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like aman who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goesaway and immediately forgets what he looks like" (James 1:22-24).
Excerpted from:"The Man in the Mirror: Solving the 24 Problems Men Face"by Patrick Morley, Zondervan Publishing Househttp://www.answers4men.com/
