Today's economy all over the world runs on money. It is either giving it away as incentive or taking it (borrowing and taxes). The US government is trillions of dollars in debt. The USA and most other people, have become "servants to the lender." Our want and desires have become greater than our output. Most of us have not been content with what we have; we often feel that more money by credit will solve most of our problems. Those solutions have become a dangerous trap, as we have seen in these past two years of recession, all due to over-spending. The recourse in most governments is to borrow more to get the economy going again. The real problem has nothing to do with the collapse of the housing market or the stock market dive, but instead a spiritual problem. As a nation we have made money and possessions our gods; we have taken our eyes off Jesus.
Within the church the same problem exists. Not that the church is in financial debt, even though many have had to cut their budget-spending because of less income from offerings, but there is a spiritual problem that exists. Many people have become complacent with their spiritual status and discontent with what they have. I hear it often in prayers, "Lord, I need more money to pay my bills." "I need a better paying job," and so forth. In essence money has become the answer to people's problems, and in a way a god too. Most believers have failed to take the proper steps and sacrifices along the way, and now many are forced to bow to someone.
After I had lost my dream house because of borrowing I was determined to never allow money and possessions to be my god. Even now after God has given us another house that we built with cash, money is not our means or our god; but faith is. However, being debt free doesn't necessarily eliminate the need or power that money holds on people. There can still be the fears of losing what a person has or the desire for more. It was my desire to be content and patient, but money still has a power of its own if we allow it. God meant money to be used as a tool, a tool that we can use to help others in need and sometimes to lead them to Christ. Money is not the answer to our problems; Jesus is. We all have to make that choice regularly.
One day about 15 years ago, my wife had gone back to Colorado Springs to see her dad who was is the hospital. The morning she left, she gave me $140 (two $50s and two $20s) to pay for tie-rods that a friend from the church would install for free on our truck. I put the money in my wallet along with some ones and maybe a five or ten, I already had. A few days later, I was listing to a cassette tape from a friend's home church meeting (he usually sent me recordings since I lived far away). I was working alone in a vacant store building where I had permission to display my paintings and try to make some money. As I was listening to this tape, he was talking about breaking the power of money. In his massage, he demonstrated this by tearing up some small bills he had in his wallet. Now that got people's attention and some reactions from the group. He asked them what they thought. Some thought it was against the law, others said he could have given it to the poor. As he dealt with those excuses others started to reach into their wallets or purses and pull out a dollar or two and tore them up as a sign to God of their desire to be free from money's power. The power of mammon is not broken by just tearing up paper currency alone, but by taking the step of faith to rip it from your heart, he then added.
After I had finished listening to the tape I felt God wanted me to do the same. However, I also felt that the Lord wanted me to tear up my largest bill. I thought sure why not, maybe a $5 or $10. I had forgotten about the money my wife had given me. When I opened my wallet, I remembered everything. Wow, what a dilemma! All of a sudden other voices and thoughts started screaming, "This is crazy." However, I rejected those other voices and told God that my trust is in Him and not in money. I then tore a $50 bill into pieces (I mailed one corner piece to my buddy as proof, and kept the rest as a reminder.) An hour later a young man came in the store to look at my paintings. We talked for a while and he told me he had no money or a place to live. Again I felt God wanted me to do something, so I reached in my wallet and gave him a $20 bill. (A couple days later I asked the young man to come and live with us. He stayed a couple of weeks until he found a place.)
Now I only had $70, half of what my wife gave me to pay for the truck parts that the man was going to install that night. When I arrived at his house, he started working on the truck, but when he went to install the new parts they wouldn't fit. So he had to reinstall the old ones. He told be to come back tomorrow and he would try again. (I had not shared my financial situation with him.) I came back the next night and he finished the job with the correct parts. Then I asked him what the cost was. He said $70. I was surprised, and he explained that the auto part store was apologetic for giving him the wrong size, causing him extra work and time. So they reduced the cost to half, then he passed the savings on to me even though he had to do the work twice. I gratefully thanked him and also thanked my awesome and faithful God, who promises to provide for his trusting servants.
"Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I forsake you...'" (Heb.13:5)
