Matthew 25:34-36 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'" New International Version BibleThe value of the "almighty" dollar seems to be not so "almighty" these days. Because of the current state of the U.S. economy, the value of dollar fluctuates frequently and there is much conversation of moving to a new global currency. All of this serves as a sobering reminder that cash, in and of itself, is only a symbol of value. It was designed to be a representation of the assets that we actually have, not the asset itself.
Strangely enough, our current monetary system has greatly influenced the way I think about giving. Most of the time, when I think about giving, I am immediately frustrated because I can't give as much as I would like to give due to the amount of dollars that I have in the bank. Does the dollar amount in my bank account truly represent what I am able to give? I don't really have an oppinion about whether the global financial system should move away from the dollar but I may need to personally consider a new form of currency.
In Matthew 25, Jesus gives a picture of what exemplary giving looks like and it is definitely not limited to money. If you are going to feed someone or give them something to drink, it might cost you a little bit of money but it will also cost you something else. If you want to clothe someone or take them into your house, you may incur a small financial expense but it will cost you even more in another form of currency. To take care of someone who is sick and to visit someone in prison will probably not cost you a whole lot of money but will require a very costly investment of one of your most valuable resources...your time.
This thought has become very liberating for me. I don't have to limit my giving to the money that I have in my bank account (don't get me wrong, that does not get me off of the hook of constantly streamlining my finances so that I can give as much money as possible). This especially becomes applicable when I think about using the "handy man" skills that I have recently been learning. How much money could I save a family that is living below the poverty line if I am able to go in and make substantial improvements to the physical structure of their house? If I go over and take care of a bathroom plumbing problem for the widow in my neighborhood, how much money have I given her now that she will not have to pay the expense of having a plumber come to her house? When I think about giving in this light, the possibilities grow limitless. The financial equivalent of what I can potentially give becomes exponential regardless of the current state of the "sometimes mighty dollar".
1 comment:
Benji~
I agree with you, wholeheartedly. As an Executive Director of a faith-based non profit, though, I am utterly dependant on the "almighty dollar."
I simply can not run a minsrity on prayers alone. Yes, trusting in God gets us through the lean years, helps me to sleep at night and keeps my counseling sessions to a minimum, but money, as my grandpa used to say is a "necessary evil."
How we deal with money, is a paramount example of whether we are "in this world or of this world."
That said, if we begin to see giving as a life style, rather than an occasional act, we will begin to undersatnd the mystery of "you did it unto me."
And what a mystery to try to grasp!
Lifestyle changes require, no demand, a will-full focus on doing things differently, or else it will be yet another emotional driven and ultimaetly self serving attempt to be a "good Christian."
To "love your neighbior" by "giving" free labor for a house project will require the entire the family to do weekends and evenings differenly.
As humans we naturally resist change and when we do change it can be very hard to sustain.
Thus the need for community. Change should not be attempted alone.
To be as counter cultural as Chrsit was in this day and age is to wrestle with money- daily- in a humble, yet "eyes wide open" manner.
Benji, you appear to be trying to "open your eyes even further."
Beware: This "eye opening" is a good news, bad news thing.
Bad news, you are respondible for what you "see."
Good news, you are not alone. The Holy Spirit hungrily awaits to assist you in "seeing" and then doing.
We are all infected with it's power. We are all in varies stages of healing from this infection.
So, judges, please hush.
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