We crave stability. We're afraid. I'm not sure of what. But I am too.
It's interesting the statistics on marriages that break up over money. Money/material wealth somehow equates with "okay-ness". Physical safety, value as a person, social standing etc. We're fundamentally terrified to be without it.
We say we trust God, we know He'll provide, but we still stress over money. So really, we don't trust Him. Let's be honest. We think He's going to let us fall. If that wasn't true we wouldn't be so stressed - and we are.
We're so busy being fearful and desperate, that we don't even begin to look past our own lives to see others' needs and others' pain.
I think the cure is courage. But it would require a level of courage beyond anything I'm capable of.
I think most people (myself included) recognize this desire for stability-via-wealth in themselves. What's strange to me though is that personal dept is at an all-time high. The materialism that feeds much of the personal dept balloon seems to be at odds with the desire for stability. We're ok with losing stability to buy a smaller ipod or a bigger house, but we get antsy over helping people in need (and I include myself in the "we" here).
This dynamic re-affirms my belief that every westerner should spend some time in a developing nation. It changes your perspective. And you don't even have to get out of your home city to start to have your perspective changed. You just have to hang out with some homeless or other struggling folks ("residentially challenged" was the term a homeless guy I met on Sunday used).
I think the personal debt issue highlights how false the "stability" really is. In that case it becomes about image, or purchasing power. It's where we put our trust and sense of personal identity.
I feel guilty about being wealthy all the time. (Wealthy meaning western.) It's like a constant rumble at the back of my brain. To appease the rumble, I make little sacrifices that do nothing but focus my attention on how much I have kept for myself. I would really like to silence the rumble forever, but I don't know how.
I am looking forward to heaven. I will be poor there.
Wealth and money should not be considered equal. But lots of money can increase the good we can do. Money isn't the problem: our beliefs about money are. We need to fix our values, not empty our accounts. There is neither shame nor pride in being rich or poor. Only our actions in either circumstance reflect on our spiritual health. If you feel too many people waste their lives chasing money as an end in itself, do something to get that out of the picture and set an example for others. When you have enough, you don't worry so much about yourself; you can have more time to care about others. If your thinking isn't straight, it doesn't matter how much or little you have. Anyone can be "stingy"
5 comments:
We crave stability. We're afraid. I'm not sure of what. But I am too.
It's interesting the statistics on marriages that break up over money. Money/material wealth somehow equates with "okay-ness". Physical safety, value as a person, social standing etc. We're fundamentally terrified to be without it.
We say we trust God, we know He'll provide, but we still stress over money. So really, we don't trust Him. Let's be honest. We think He's going to let us fall. If that wasn't true we wouldn't be so stressed - and we are.
We're so busy being fearful and desperate, that we don't even begin to look past our own lives to see others' needs and others' pain.
I think the cure is courage. But it would require a level of courage beyond anything I'm capable of.
I think most people (myself included) recognize this desire for stability-via-wealth in themselves. What's strange to me though is that personal dept is at an all-time high. The materialism that feeds much of the personal dept balloon seems to be at odds with the desire for stability. We're ok with losing stability to buy a smaller ipod or a bigger house, but we get antsy over helping people in need (and I include myself in the "we" here).
This dynamic re-affirms my belief that every westerner should spend some time in a developing nation. It changes your perspective. And you don't even have to get out of your home city to start to have your perspective changed. You just have to hang out with some homeless or other struggling folks ("residentially challenged" was the term a homeless guy I met on Sunday used).
I think the personal debt issue highlights how false the "stability" really is. In that case it becomes about image, or purchasing power. It's where we put our trust and sense of personal identity.
As long as I can get stuff, I'm okay.
How did we get this way?
I feel guilty about being wealthy all the time. (Wealthy meaning western.) It's like a constant rumble at the back of my brain. To appease the rumble, I make little sacrifices that do nothing but focus my attention on how much I have kept for myself. I would really like to silence the rumble forever, but I don't know how.
I am looking forward to heaven. I will be poor there.
Wealth and money should not be considered equal. But lots of money can increase the good we can do. Money isn't the problem: our beliefs about money are. We need to fix our values, not empty our accounts. There is neither shame nor pride in being rich or poor. Only our actions in either circumstance reflect on our spiritual health. If you feel too many people waste their lives chasing money as an end in itself, do something to get that out of the picture and set an example for others. When you have enough, you don't worry so much about yourself; you can have more time to care about others.
If your thinking isn't straight, it doesn't matter how much or little you have. Anyone can be "stingy"
Post a Comment