Before I can put up a post about money and finances, I thought I should first share with you my current theology on cash, wealth, and the abysmal failure-of-a-way that we’re using God’s resources.  The first half is from my message last Sunday, which you can listen to here.

The Chocolate Cake Myth

The Chocolate Cake Myth says that you can take a regular vanilla cake, and that by sprinkling chocolate shavings on top, it magically becomes a chocolate cake.

Consider the vanilla life- the plain, ordinary, expectation-based ingredients of a ‘normal,’ regular, everyday life…

Go to school.
Get a job.
Work a 9-5, plus overtime, plus some take-home.
Do the commute. Watch the news, the sports, the weather.
Get married. Make babies.
Buy a car or two or three.
Buy a house, buy a cottage, buy a boat, buy some pets.
Stay busy constantly, or people will think that you’re lazy.
Stay distracted and entertained with movies, music, games, sports, video games…and lots of shopping.
Eventually retire.
Eventually die.

So we do we do as ‘Christians?’ We sprinkle on a little bit of Jesus.

We go to church.
Maybe we read and pray.
The super godly ones give lots.

But there’s no real change, and the world sees very little difference.

We have believed the Chocolate Cake Myth- that by taking a regular life, and by sprinkling some Jesus on top, it magically becomes a life in Christ.

The Bible says to “be transformed.” Like a little bit of yeast worked into bread, it changes everything forever. It can never be the same again, and there’s no doubt is different.

I can picture Jesus saying “I’d rather you be chocolate or vanilla- but if you’re a moldy mix, I’ll spit you out!”

If we live like the world and simply sprinkle on some Jesus, the world will continue to be left with a bad taste in their mouths.

The American Dream

The American Dream is the World’s Nightmare

You have too much everything. Me too.

1 Western citizen consumes the resources of 550 Ethiopians.

If the entire world lived like we do, the planet would be out of resources in less than a decade.

The early Christians believed that if one man owned a house and another man died on the streets, that the blood was on his head.

If the early Christians found out that one of their own didn’t have food, the entire community would fast until they could all afford to eat together.

King David prayed ‘Lord, give me neither poverty nor riches. For if I am rich I might forget you, but if I am poor, I might have to steal.”

Jesus Himself said, “God, I just want a Ferrari.” “Give us this day our daily bread”

Payraises
The Bible talks about money more than about heaven and hell combined.

Our earthly budget will some day be our heavenly reconciliation.

And for most of us, it’s going to look pretty bleak- that 10% was for God, but 90% was for us. That it was all about us.

Need we be reminded that “where are treasure is, there are heart is also.”

The deadliest epidemic in our world is selfishness. One of it’s greatest symptoms is ‘lifestyle inflation’.

Bigger.
Better.
More.

What folly.

When God chooses to increase our wealth (whether by income, gift, or inheritance), it is NOT for our own gain. As Matt Redman sings, “every blessing you pour out I’ll turn back to praise.”

We do this by increasing our standard of giving instead of our standard of living.

The White Picket Fence

The White Picket Fence Wasn’t God’s Idea. Believe it or not, God’s plan was for you to walk around naked and eat from the ‘interest’ of what the planet bore.  Not to work by the sweat of our brow and stripmine/rape the planet of all resources. But we screwed it up.

If God has a White Picket Fence idea, it is this- “I go to prepare a place for you. For in my house there are many mansions.”

Best part? He uses gold for pavement…because he knew it was worthless the whole time.

But we are easily distracted. As author Henry David Thoreau laments, “we have settled down on earth and forgotten heaven.”

And like the old song goes, “this world is not my home, I’m just a-passin’ through.”

This life was never meant to be comfortable.

“How can I get to heaven?” a rich young man asks Jesus. “By selling everything and giving it to the poor.”

Shane Claiborne reminds us that Jesus was a homeless refugee.  Jesus reminds us that “whatever you do to the least of these my brothers, you do to Me.”

The Bible reminds us that the journey home is treacherous- “that in this world you WILL have trouble.”

The way is hard. The road is narrow. The gate is small. Few ever find it.

Be one who does.

Because blessed are the poor is Spirit- for theirs is the kingdom of God.

Jay

Karen has a new post today on appearance called Pretty is as pretty does.

Michelle’s most recent post called Don’t talk more, talk better! on creating intentional conversation.

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