Glad you jumped into the discussion Alyssa. I agree with much of what you express. The love of money is the root of evil. But I also believe that money (or be it bread or whatever) is the fruit of evil. I don't believe God ever meant for us to have to use money, which is "mine", to by something that is "yours." Money exists because we don't see each other as one family under God the father. We don't (or shouldn't) use money as a medium of exchange within a family, so why should we do this as brothers and sisters in Christ? The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. He means for us to share this (not buy and sell it) together in love and unity. If we are governed by love for God and for one another, by the spirit of sharing, I think our world (and "economy") would look very, very different. In the meantime, and like you express, we need to do everything we can to be "in line with the truth of Jesus' words" in which people are more important than possessions. Thanks for your input!
I find what you write Joshua very interesting. I've recently met a man who is a professional therapist who has a huge heart for the underclass. These are the folks who are often in need of counseling. He decided several years ago to offer his services free to them. He invites them to offer a donation with the understanding that they don't have to. To his amazement, he is "earning" more than he had before. So now he is offering his services for free to anyone. What is he doing with his extra money? He hopes to start a community that offers free housing to those who want to live a different life, free of consumer capitalism. What he is doing is quite inspiring to say the least. All the best!
What a great example you give Susan of how much of our lives have become commodified. It's sad that this one woman felt that she and her partner had to pay for everything. What if she had been a part of a community which truly felt financially responsible for one another? Even so, it really is a gift to be simple. So much of life can be celebrated for free if we would simply focus on what's most important. Vows are made; they don't have to be paid for!
Thanks Brett. The "spirit" of Mammon always neglects the widow and orphan. Thanks for reminding us of that! What if the widow and the orphan were actually part of our very family? Then they would not be alone, nor would their state have to be different then ours. God longs for one household under the rulership of Jesus.
Money is something that is apart of the world we live in. With it we can bless and pour out righteousness (generosity) on whoever comes across our path that has a need. This though is only possible if we truly have the life orientation that the money we are stewarding isn’t ours anyway. Scripture does make it clear that it is the LOVE of money that’s the “root of all evil”. The possessive spirit (Mammon) that causes money to become a God is the problem. It’s a means to and end. That end being power, happiness, etc. If bread became the the item in which things could be bought and used for economic function it would be that the love of bread are the root of all evil. I don’t believe that it’s money in and of itself that’s the problem. It is the spirit behind it that causes the heart of humanity to fall away from the kingdom and aid in the feeding of the flesh. It’s a quick and easy line to cross in our culture of consumerism and if we’re not in line with the truth of Jesus words and cautions around our use of money then we can fall fast into justifying the acceptance and worship of it. Which will always end up causing distraction and destruction to the reality of heaven. People will become expendable and second hand thoughts, which is opposite of the goal of the kingdom.
I agree that relationships rarely exist now that are not governed or predicated upon the exchange of money. My brother and I have often dreamed of surprising our customers by offering services as home remodelers without expectation for payment. What would they do if we told them the service was free that they only need pay if they feel led to? It’s easy to imagine the beautiful and generous responses that could arise. Simply the absence of expectation would be jarring and open the door for penetrating and compelling witness into the kingdom of God. Our disposition has been a bit more pragmatic in that we are not sure how far to take this when bills do need to be paid and at a certain level we seem bound to concede that the world operates within the parameters and dictates of an economic machine. That reality has suspended us between grief/lament and imaginative expectation and joy, and anchored us in the promise of new creation. I think our agency is that creative and reflective engagement which is always challenging the accepted patterns with disruptive yet arresting color believing that all creation groans for revelation God’s sons and daughters.
I was listening to NPR this afternoon and folks were sharing how inflation had negatively impacted them. One woman said she and her partner wanted to get married and she took a second job to try to help pay for the wedding but it was causing her mental distress so she was going to have to quit and they would have to postpone their wedding til next year. I loved the comment of the woman fielding questions, a financial planer, I believe, said "just get married!" "It doesn't have to be anything fancy," she went on, "just buy a cake from the grocery store and some Kool-aid and have it in a friend's backyard!" I appreciated her down-to-earth wisdom of not buying into our society's idea of what a wedding should be and just keeping it a simple celebration. Tis a gift to be simple and come down where we ought to be.
Bless you Charles! Halleluiah. My observation is that there is no grey zone. If you are not actively pleading the case of the widow (single mom) and defending the cause of the orphan (fatherless), you are in the camp of the oppressor. And when caring for the ones on God’s focus list, the right hand ought not let the left know what it is doing. Between these two ideas I find it is possible to use unrighteous mammon to make friends for yourselves yet still be responsible for your own personal economy and not banish personal possessions.
Glad you jumped into the discussion Alyssa. I agree with much of what you express. The love of money is the root of evil. But I also believe that money (or be it bread or whatever) is the fruit of evil. I don't believe God ever meant for us to have to use money, which is "mine", to by something that is "yours." Money exists because we don't see each other as one family under God the father. We don't (or shouldn't) use money as a medium of exchange within a family, so why should we do this as brothers and sisters in Christ? The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. He means for us to share this (not buy and sell it) together in love and unity. If we are governed by love for God and for one another, by the spirit of sharing, I think our world (and "economy") would look very, very different. In the meantime, and like you express, we need to do everything we can to be "in line with the truth of Jesus' words" in which people are more important than possessions. Thanks for your input!
I find what you write Joshua very interesting. I've recently met a man who is a professional therapist who has a huge heart for the underclass. These are the folks who are often in need of counseling. He decided several years ago to offer his services free to them. He invites them to offer a donation with the understanding that they don't have to. To his amazement, he is "earning" more than he had before. So now he is offering his services for free to anyone. What is he doing with his extra money? He hopes to start a community that offers free housing to those who want to live a different life, free of consumer capitalism. What he is doing is quite inspiring to say the least. All the best!
What a great example you give Susan of how much of our lives have become commodified. It's sad that this one woman felt that she and her partner had to pay for everything. What if she had been a part of a community which truly felt financially responsible for one another? Even so, it really is a gift to be simple. So much of life can be celebrated for free if we would simply focus on what's most important. Vows are made; they don't have to be paid for!
Thanks Brett. The "spirit" of Mammon always neglects the widow and orphan. Thanks for reminding us of that! What if the widow and the orphan were actually part of our very family? Then they would not be alone, nor would their state have to be different then ours. God longs for one household under the rulership of Jesus.
This is Alyssa:).
Money is something that is apart of the world we live in. With it we can bless and pour out righteousness (generosity) on whoever comes across our path that has a need. This though is only possible if we truly have the life orientation that the money we are stewarding isn’t ours anyway. Scripture does make it clear that it is the LOVE of money that’s the “root of all evil”. The possessive spirit (Mammon) that causes money to become a God is the problem. It’s a means to and end. That end being power, happiness, etc. If bread became the the item in which things could be bought and used for economic function it would be that the love of bread are the root of all evil. I don’t believe that it’s money in and of itself that’s the problem. It is the spirit behind it that causes the heart of humanity to fall away from the kingdom and aid in the feeding of the flesh. It’s a quick and easy line to cross in our culture of consumerism and if we’re not in line with the truth of Jesus words and cautions around our use of money then we can fall fast into justifying the acceptance and worship of it. Which will always end up causing distraction and destruction to the reality of heaven. People will become expendable and second hand thoughts, which is opposite of the goal of the kingdom.
I agree that relationships rarely exist now that are not governed or predicated upon the exchange of money. My brother and I have often dreamed of surprising our customers by offering services as home remodelers without expectation for payment. What would they do if we told them the service was free that they only need pay if they feel led to? It’s easy to imagine the beautiful and generous responses that could arise. Simply the absence of expectation would be jarring and open the door for penetrating and compelling witness into the kingdom of God. Our disposition has been a bit more pragmatic in that we are not sure how far to take this when bills do need to be paid and at a certain level we seem bound to concede that the world operates within the parameters and dictates of an economic machine. That reality has suspended us between grief/lament and imaginative expectation and joy, and anchored us in the promise of new creation. I think our agency is that creative and reflective engagement which is always challenging the accepted patterns with disruptive yet arresting color believing that all creation groans for revelation God’s sons and daughters.
I was listening to NPR this afternoon and folks were sharing how inflation had negatively impacted them. One woman said she and her partner wanted to get married and she took a second job to try to help pay for the wedding but it was causing her mental distress so she was going to have to quit and they would have to postpone their wedding til next year. I loved the comment of the woman fielding questions, a financial planer, I believe, said "just get married!" "It doesn't have to be anything fancy," she went on, "just buy a cake from the grocery store and some Kool-aid and have it in a friend's backyard!" I appreciated her down-to-earth wisdom of not buying into our society's idea of what a wedding should be and just keeping it a simple celebration. Tis a gift to be simple and come down where we ought to be.
Bless you Charles! Halleluiah. My observation is that there is no grey zone. If you are not actively pleading the case of the widow (single mom) and defending the cause of the orphan (fatherless), you are in the camp of the oppressor. And when caring for the ones on God’s focus list, the right hand ought not let the left know what it is doing. Between these two ideas I find it is possible to use unrighteous mammon to make friends for yourselves yet still be responsible for your own personal economy and not banish personal possessions.