Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. Proverbs 11:24
“The number one reason that both pastors and parishioners cited as the major barrier to Christian generosity is the individualistic, consumeristic nature of American society. Pastors said that the individualism in American society, including within the church, undermines the priority of financial giving. “We have very selfish, I-focused church,” they said. “It’s a lack of inner transformation,” other judged.
“We’re selfish. The theology of scarcity, that “I need to hoard everything I have and need to be investing for my own security,” they said was a big problem. Very many pastors explicitly named consumerism as a major culprit in discouraging generous financial giving, which they explained as a confusing of needs with wants and a consequent reluctance to give money away.”
Christian Smith and Michael Emerson in Passing the Plate: Why American Christians Don’t Give Away More Money (Oxford: OUP, 2008) 125.
As I noted yesterday, my focus for the next few meditations has shifted to a new topic. I want to explore the prudent pathway for those blessed with abundance.
The paradox of handling possessions according to Solomon is mind-boggling. Those who give freely see their wealth increase, whereas the stingy suffer great loss. Research affirms this. Not only do societal values lead people to store up treasures for themselves (despite what Jesus teaches), but those who do often end up feeling empty and dying alone. The selfish I-focused way of thinking comes back to bite them in the end. Alternatively, those who bless others through their lives tend to have many around them, enriching them, in their later years.
I made it safely to the plains of North Dakota (pictured above) and am enjoying time with Christian brothers John Roswech and Shawn McFarland. In God’s providence and at varying levels, both have been abundantly blessed. I am thankful for their hospitality. More than that, I rejoice that their views reflect what Scripture says to do with wealth regardless of what society says!