The Power of Money

Well it is August, which is usually “money month” in this church. For nearly 15 years we have taken 2 to 4 Sundays to explore what it means to be “stewards of God’s resources” and to honour him with our “treasures”. This year we have not deliberately set aside any Sundays to speak on money but rather have chosen to follow the lectionary. It is interesting that in the lectionary this week we read the story from Luke of the man who stored up things for himself and was not rich toward God (Luke 12: 21). Jesus calls such a person A FOOL!!!

I must say “thank God”, the lectionary takes us to the place where we must look honestly at what we give priority in our lives to; and in particular what place money takes. Not to speak about this issue is to be completely “anti-Christian” as Jesus spoke more about money and wealth than any other topic except the kingdom of God! (Richard Foster “Money, Sex and Power, 1985). 

Martin Luther said that three conversions are necessary when a person decides to follow Christ: the conversion of the heart, the conversion of the mind and the conversion of the purse. And John Wesley wryly remarked that the last thing to convert was a person’s wallet. (Alan and Debra Hirsch p 111 “Untamed”).

To truly walk in the way of Jesus, one must be free of the love of money. Once we are rescued from the power of mammon, we can be free to be generous and when we are generous, we are agents of Jesus’ remarkable grace. We cannot overestimate the power of generosity. Not only does it destroy the power of money, but it introduces the one who receives the gift (as well as the one who gives the gift) into the world of grace. (Alan and Debra Hirsch p 114 “Untamed”)

Unfortunately “we’re set up to buy and sell, not to give and receive” (Miroslav Volf). This means we are trained from a young age to calculate before giving money away rather than being truly generous. For example, Bill Gates’s contribution to charity is very significant and laudible, but it does not constitute a “widows mite”. It still leaves him one of the richest men in the world. We are called in Christ to costly, grace-filled generosity. God’s grace calls us to be joyful givers ourselves rather than self-absorbed receivers or consumers. (Alan and Debra Hirsch p 114-115 “Untamed”).

What is amazing is that God uses costly generosity to build His Kingdom on earth even more powerfully than millions given without real cost. (Luke 21: 1-4)

May God set us free from the power of “mammon” into the joy and freedom of His generosity.

Yours in Christ

Graham Keech

PS.  Over the next couple of Keech’s Korners I will share other insights from different writers to assist us in living in the freedom and generosity of God with regard to wealth.