Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. Ecclesiastes 5:10
“Money,” the Yuppie maxim goes, “is life’s report card.” Our society is so captivated with earning money, having money, and spending money that we can think of little else. And what better way to gain a financial margin than to earn more money. But just as riches are not righteousness, so money is not margin.
Nothing in Scripture and in the chosen lifestyle of Christ could be clearer: Wealth is not a primary objective of the spiritual life. When we encounter money along the path of life, we are encouraged to do one of three things with it: turn and walk in the other direction; pick it up and give it away; or use it for the necessities of daily living. Any other interaction risks adverse spiritual consequences.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,” Jesus taught. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” [Matthew 6:19-21] He in fact, spent a great deal of time expounding on the issue, discussing it even more than the topic of prayer. If the ultimatum, “You cannot serve both God and Money” was relevant for ancient Israel, how much more for the modern world?
Pal adds his warning in the strongest terms: “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction…Some people eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.” [1 Timothy 6:9-11]
Again and again the Word instructs us in explicit terms to distrust money. It is not that money is evil, but that the love of money leads to all kinds of evil. With sufficient wisdom and discipline, money can glorify God and be a blessing to many. But wisdom and discipline are not exactly our long suit.”
Richard Swenson in Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2004) 136.
As we think about fasting from things so we can feast on better things, we start to create margin in our lives. The world defines margin as extra money to do the things we want to do and buy the things we want to buy. The volume of these messages seems to be turned up at Christmas with consumerism all around us.
Alternatively, Swenson wisely notes: “When we encounter money along the path of life, we are encouraged to do one of three things with it: turn and walk in the other direction; pick it up and give it away; or use it for the necessities of daily living. Any other interaction risks adverse spiritual consequences.”
Gary Williams, national director of CMA Australia, pointed me to this book. Get it if life feels overloaded and you want to reprogram your rhythms for living, giving, serving, and loving like Jesus. Do it because life does not consist in having many possessions, and generosity is about far more than giving away money.
Take time this Christmas to consider that Christ made margin to leave heaven and come to earth, be born in a manger, grow up in humble circumstances, set us free from our sins through His death and make a way for us to take hold of life. Set aside some margin to reflect on the fact that Jesus is the only Christmas gift that satisfies.