This is the fourth part of The Upside Down World of Theology

Chapter Three

God’s economy is not like ours!

            One of the things about the Church that has always amazed me is that we always try going to the world for our methods of operation.  If the world is indeed upside down, then so are their methods and they could even be destructive to the church.

            The goal of the world is to gain profit and get more things.   The Bible tells us that we are to give to others as God has already given to us.  The difference between the world and God’s methods is found in both their source and distribution.

“9 You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; The river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, For so You have prepared it. 10 You water its ridges abundantly, You settle its furrows; You make it soft with showers, You bless its growth. 11 You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance.” (Psalm 65:9-11 NKJV)

Source

            The world sees wealth and prosperity as being created by the skills and knowledge of a human being.  To get more one just has to work harder, better, or smarter.  To get more, one must do more.

            This basic concept gets more complicated as we decide who is to have power over the economy.  Is it to be the workers and owners in a capitalistic society?  Or will it be the government in a communistic society.  In truth, every government is somewhere on the scale between the two with no one being totally one or the other.

            But the real trouble is in the assumption that wealth and prosperity are created by man.  More than anything else, this assumption makes the economy unmanageable.  Like our own finances are unmanageable.  Those “acts of God” have a way of ripping through the best laid plans of human beings.

            If God is the source of all things then we who are of God would be foolish to turn to a bankrupt system to fund our ministry.

 “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7 RSV)

            Scripture teaches us that God is the source for all our needs.  Through God, all the resources of heaven and earth are at our disposal.  Not just the use of money, but so much more!

            Money received through worldly means usually carries with it a sense of ownership by the giver.  They believe that since they gave the money, they should be able to decide how it is spent.  Often churches are so bound up by money which has been given that they struggle financially.

            When the source of resources is God we have many more possibilities with fewer strings attached.  Many times I have seen God provide in unusual ways.  Usually through the church coming together to meet needs.  Miracle Sundays and miracle gifts are not that unusual.  The wonderful things about these “miracles” are they not only provide ministry, but they glorify God!

            Gifts for tax benefits or to get a committee off your back carries little blessing and often are used to meet unnecessary wants.  After all, some of our spending items are often more worldly than we like to admit.

Distribution

            That last thought brings us to the question of how the blessings are to be distributed.  Church budgets are interesting more for the what they spend on, than for the how much they spend.

            It is challenging to look at our own checkbook to see where we are spending the most money to see what is most important to us.  It would be interesting to have churches do an honest check over their budgets and expenses to see where the money goes to show where there hearts are. 

            Recently costs for a church to have a preacher have been rising faster than the giving in most churches.  This causes the church to look for areas to cut, and that usually is program expenses.  We would never think of cutting comfort, but usually it is money for missions or program that grows smaller each year.  It is easy to forget that the program and missions funds are not only the reason we are here, but they are the future of the church.  That is why many churches are slowly dying as their outreach and influence in the community lessens from year to year.

Solution

            The solution is actually quite simple.  If every member lived out their Christianity and gave the tithe (10%), plus a love offering to meet special needs, then churches would have more than enough to meet their needs and the needs of their communities.

            We must trust in God, and love Him enough to give as we have been given to.  Then the blessings would roll through the Church into “all the world”.  God would be glorified and lifted up and then all would be drawn to Him.  Money given from a joyous and loving heart carries a blessing with it.  God can multiply both the gift and the giving as He did those loaves and fishes to feed many from the small gift!

Do we really “Praise God from Whom all blessings flow”?

Do you trust God will provide for you or are you trusting in yourself, family or the government?

(There is an old saying that what you look to for sustenance and protection is your god!)

Should a church budget for the money or for the mission?  What would that mean?