Is Money Evil?

 

by M. Russell Thomas, PhD

 

Some say it directly while others imply it:  Money is evil.  Somehow, Christians seem to struggle with the concept of money.  It like a wise professor once said to me: “if the devil can’t talk you out of God’s promise, he will try to push you into fanaticism where you are discounted as an ambassador of the Kingdom of God.” 

 

I think that perhaps this man’s wisdom is reflected in the church’s struggle regarding money.  In one corner we have the “fanatics”.  Those who “name it, claim it”, believe that if they see it, its their God-given right to have it, and generally cling to a philosophy that God is good and wants us to have all our hearts delight in this life.  Perhaps a partial truth.

 

In the other corner we have the “suffering for Jesus” crowd.  Perhaps their thinking is driven from an overreaction to the fanatics, I’m not really sure, but this group of Holy Hardships is seriously entrenched in the idea that their spiritual health somehow involves poverty.  This is a group that will quote Luke 18:24 as a foundational truth for poverty mentality.  Lets look at that passage quickly:

 

Luke 18:24     Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for people with wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!  It’s easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God!”…but with God nothing is impossible.

 

Many, including me, have used Jesus’ words in Luke 18 to argue that money is evil.  Well, we know that Paul said that it wasn’t money that was evil but the love of the money (I Timothy 6:10).  My guess is that Paul based his thinking, in part, from Luke 18.  So lets look at that passage a little closer.

 

I think that the last statement in Luke 18:24 holds the clue.  When Jesus encountered the rich man he knew where his treasure resided.  He also knew that he would also find the man’s heart in the same place as what he so highly valued.  Personally, I don’t think money was the issue here.  Jesus always had a way of tuning into the issues of the heart and in this case, He understood that the issue in this man’s heart was money.  Don’t get me wrong, its a strong issue and one that the man will mostly likely struggle to overcome.  But I’m not convinced that the fire here is the money.  I think it was the smoke.  The fire was what it represented in the man’s heart.  Jesus was simply going with what was presented to him.  What if this man had been Hugh Heffner, the playboy tycoon who covets his sexual prowess?  Would Jesus have talked about money or would he have focused on Hugh’s untamed lasciviousness?  If Luke 18:24 had been an account of Jesus’ encounter with Mr. Heffner, I think it would have read much different.  Maybe something like “How hard it is for a man who defines his manhood in terms of how many women he’s been with to get into the Kingdom of God!”  Or what if it had been North Korean dictator Kim Yong Un?  The leader has a history of going to murderous lengths to protect his power.  Perhaps Luke 18:24 might have read a little different had Jesus been talking to him and gone something like “How hard it is for people with power to enter the Kingdom of God!”  Maybe.  My point is that Jesus went with what was given to him.  He discerned the moment and an issue in this man’s life and went with it.  Turns out, Jesus secondary message may have been about money but his primary message had nothing to do with the evils of money.  It was a message closer to Jesus’ heart and mission:  it is hard for a man to give up that what which has captured his heart’s passion…but with God, all things are possible.

Until we talk again, may you prosper and be in good health! 

THE SECRETS. By M. Russell Thomas, PhD

Matthew 13:10   [Jesus] answered, “…it has been given to you to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it has not been given to them.  For anyone who has something will be given more, so that he will have plenty; but from anyone who has nothing, even what he does have will be taken away.”   

A few years back there was a wildly popular movie and book called “The Secret”.  Many of you probably remember it and some probably viewed the movie or read the book. The Secret was a compilation of success gurus who informed us what it takes to be successful in this world.  Well today, I’ve got a little twist on The Secret and would like to offer that there is in fact, a secret that govern one’s success, wealth and prosperity in this world.  Based on Biblical wisdom, this secret runs a bit counterintuitive to most of our thinking.  The secret is found embedded in the 13^th chapter of Matthew.  It’s message is profound as it broadens the concept that success and wealth are confined only to a person’s bank account and possessions. 

The Secret?:  Anyone who has something will get more and anyone who has nothing will lose even what they have.  This truth is a foundational principle in the Kingdom of Heaven.  So what can we learn from this secret that instructs us on wealth, success and prosperity?  At least 3 important lessons flow out of this secret.
 

The Secret is ancient.  Hey, we humans are always looking for that next “one big thing” that sizzles and changes everything.  But God’s secret has been around for a while.   In fact, it has been “hidden since the creation of the universe” but is now revealed…those who have will get more and those who don’t lose what they have.  Now I can hear the critics saying that it ought not be that way and to that I will simply say that like gravity itself some things have been established and are timeless classics.   As hard as you may try to change it, reform it, scrap it altogether, or get mad about it, the truth remains.  God’s secret is one of those things.  

The Secret is not for everyone.  In Matthew 13, we find Jesus speaking to a diverse crowd.  Among the people are prominent businessmen, religious leaders and of course, Jesus’ handpick band of brothers otherwise known as disciples!  When Jesus began to speak of the secret, his intentions to hide it from some while reveal it to others is blatantly obvious. His words “it has been given to you to understand” cue us that the secret is not for everyone.  The opportunity is for everyone, but not the secret.   For whatever reason, there are those who will understand and those who will not.  One can spend a lot of time trying to get those who won’t hear to accept this…but they won’t!   They will cling to their ideas that the way to get ahead in this world is to hoard and accumulate their possessions, spend all your time trying to hold on tightly to what you have or even worse, try to pry out of the hands of those who do “get it” what is not rightfully theirs.  But the Kingdom doesn’t work that way.  No matter how much one wants to level the playing fields and redistribute the blessings, to those who have more shall be given and to those who have little it shall be taken away!  …All will not hear. 

The Secret is not fair.  The Kingdom of Heaven is not based on fairness!  Its not.  I can tell you that some of the roughest periods of my life have been when I assumed otherwise.  Those were the times that I demanded that God be fair…that is, according to my definition of fair!  But from a human logic perspective, the Kingdom is not fair and Jesus is telling us as much.  For anyone who has something will be given more, so that he will have plenty; but from anyone who has nothing, even what he does have will be taken away.  

Again, I hear the masses crying out, “Hey, that’s not fair!  The wealth should be shared equally!  The wealth should be spread around!”  Then I hear the words of the late Jim Rohn echoing in my brain replying to the masses “well when you get your own planet you can set it up the way you want!  Until then, we’re just a guest on this one!”  Protest all you want but when the smoke clears you’ll find that you spent a lot of time and valuable emotional energy fuming about the deal!  But the bottom line is that the Kingdom of Heaven responds to those who are doing their jobs, maintaining faithful diligence and being good stewards of what God has placed in their care.  I don’t care whether we are talking about winning souls, managing money, raising kids or just trying to do your job, the principle is the same:  if you got something and you are faithful with it, expect more!  If you’re not, expect even less!   Every good businessman or woman worth his or her weight in salt knows you don’t put the slacker in charge…the bonus goes to the faithful worker. 

Think about it…until we talk again, may you prosper and be in good health!

What Did I Pray for That Began to Turn My Financial “Titanic”?

This blog is written for those who desire to be debt free and financially sound.  I’m one of those people too.  And if you’re like me, perhaps you’ve been working at this thing for a while and perhaps you’ve tried a lot of things.  I don’t know about you but I’ve done some pretty unusual things to try to generate money and pay off debt.  I’ve done everything from network marketing to selling vacuum cleaners to taking on extra patients, just to name a few.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that I’ve done most of those things.  All of them taught me something of value that I have taken forward. 

 

As I look back there is one thing that began to turn my financial Titantic.  It wasn’t a job or financial pep rally or the passing of a rich uncle, but rather something that began to work on my thinking.  It was much more foundational than employing an envelope system to track my cash or purchase a software program to help me account for my money.  It was the incorporation of 13 basic principles into my life and thinking which I later shared with others through my book, 12 Pillars and a Prayer.  Once I began to practice these principles in my life and finances, I noticed something.  I stopped praying for the big check and starting praying for something else…something that has impacted far more than just my checkbook.  What did I pray for?  One simple thing:  wisdom!

 

Now I wasn’t the first to pray for such things.  Centuries ago a man named Solomon was challenged to ask for anything, that is, anything and it would be given to him.  He chose to ask for wisdom too.  Granted, anybody with 700 wives and 1000 concubines would do well to ask for wisdom, but the big story here is that he became an extremely wealthy man.  That is to say, his financial statement was insanely skewed in the direction of riches!  So much so that even the rich people were blown away by his enormous estate (see Queen of Sheba in your concordance). 

 

So what does a man like this have to tell us about his wealth?  A lot actually.  He was the Donald Trump of the day and he knew the secret of his success.  Throughout the book of Proverbs, otherwise known as the book of Wisdom, Solomon discusses his wealth.  Like a late night infomercial, Solomon discusses the virtues of his success in Chapter 8 of Proverbs. Here are a few nuggets from that chapter:

 

Does not wisdom cry out

And understanding lift up her voice?...

Receive my instruction, and not silver,

And knowledge rather than choice gold;

For wisdom is better than rubies,

And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her…

Riches and honor are with me,

Enduring riches and righteousness…

My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,

And my revenue than choice silver…

That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,

That I may fill their treasuries.

 

Wisdom.  Its value eclipses that of gold, is worth more than silver and trumps the value of rubies.  Nothing compares to having wisdom.  Its value includes both longevity and integrity.  Those who love wisdom are destined for wealth and coffers that are running over.  Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, huh?  Even the witless can wrap their cerebral processes around this concept that wisdom and wealth are joined at the hip!

 

But how does one obtain wisdom?  This is not an easy question to answer.  Next month I’m going to share some ideas taken from scripture, shake it together with life stories and answer the question.  It is key to wealth, both generating and managing it.  So until then, my prayer is always that you prosper and be in good health, even as your soul prospers…