Money Post (Pt 4)

What’s my point in writing all these posts about money?

My point is this: We don’t need as much of it as we think we do and we need to stop looking at what the perceivably rich people have and gorging ourselves over their apparent wealth and our apparent poverty. There’s a word for all this you know, “Coveting.”

Let’s just rebrand this whole “Inequality of Wealth” deal in America to either a) “We’re Babies and Want the Other Kid’s Legos” or b) “Selfish Coveters Who Are OK with Demanding to Have Your Stuff.” Take your pick. Folks the grass is always greener somewhere else (sound familiar? Like your mom said it when you were an incapable child?).

Take what you are given, what you earn (by the extravagant grace, mercy and love of God who let you live, allowed you a job, and set you in America) and use it wisely and shrewdly.

Remember that it is God who gives and takes away and that those enormously wealthy people will have a hard time coming to the fountain of grace because their money will hold them back. Remember that you too are one of the 1% of the world by living in America and that to those to whom much is given much will be expected. Remember to thank the Lord for his great provision in your life and give to him your tithes and offerings. Remember God is King and you; you are not. Remember that it’s free grace that saves our damnably wretched souls and it is free mercy that rains down in our heart to make us even notice God. Remember our biggest problem is our sinful rebellion against God NOT the lack of some odd little trinket that will lose its entire luster in a week.

Money Post (Pt 3)

There are some things we need, some things that are nice to have, and everything else are just wants. Food and water those are necessary, we need them to live. Shelter – a home – that’s nice to have, but not a necessity necessarily. Then there’s all the stuff to go in the house, all of that is socially dictated by the culture you’re in. Beds in India are floors sometimes. Kitchens in Egypt are sparse. Showers in Uganda are rivers.

Food – God will give us our daily bread. Water – there are people screaming out in hell for a drop on their ravaged tongues and it not only drizzles on us here in America, but it floods from the skies at times. Are you getting it? What you need has been provided in abundance here in America. The “Inequality of Wealth” we’re talking about is the ability or inability to get horribly made pieces of wood and ceramic at a store to stick on a wall and smile at once! We’re whining at the fact that someone’s grass is greener than ours! We’re discontented children screaming that their ice cream is bigger than ours.

“Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

A point here: Jesus didn’t instruct us to pray for tomorrow’s food and sins, he told us to pray for today’s. The troubles of today are enough in themselves, let tomorrow worry about its problems. If God gives us food for the week he has taken care of today’s bread issues and given more than we need. Anything you have beyond today is icing on the cake, cause only the Lord knows whether or not you’re even going to live to use that icing.

(Also, a thought, God dictates what we need and don't need. He gives life and he takes life away. If what you need is to experience the fullness of God without shadow or veil - he gracously gives you death. So to say water and food are necessary, God defines what is neceassry and what is lifegiving.)

Money Post (Pt 1)

I want to take a couple posts to write about something I’ve never written about in any length on this blog. Something we all talk about, think about, and pray for more of. Something we all, “always need a little more of,” “Can’t get enough of,” and, “wish we could just keep around a little longer.” You know, that green stuff you keep tucked away in a chunk of leather you sit on (fellas) or loose in your purse (ladies). Uh huh, money.

Recently I watched a little thing about the “Wealth inequality in America” where some guy ranted about how some people are rich and have money while some people don’t. Noble, right? Kind of like Robin Hood, “Let’s take their money and give it to those who don’t have any.” And I’d agree, if for a few massive issues.

I’d agree that distributing wealth would be great, if people worked hard and still didn’t have enough. I’d agree if every person on the poor end of his scale was diligent and honest, but still couldn’t get by, then it would be fair to have the wealthy give to help out the average Joe who is still broke after a long hard day of difficult work. At least that’s the real story of Robin Hood, right - stealing from the dishonest wealthy to help the honestly diligent poor? (But let’s face it neither the poor nor the rich are all honest.)

But then there’s this reality of folks that sit around and take in what the government gives them and are still part of the “poor.” There’s a whole bunch of folks working their tails off for long hours at 2 or 3 jobs to get their kids some food, then there is the ones sitting on the couch with their brand new video game, iPhone5 and a bag of Cheetoes and fat-kid fingers – all of which were paid for from the Social Security withholdings of the diligent worker…

Yet, that’s not even the problem. The video would have you believe the problem is that some people have too much money, that they're the reason you're miserable and in debt and can’t scrape by every month – let me break it to easy, thy're not your problem, you’re your problem.

You see there’s the “Standard of Living” stuff we’re trying to live up to. There’s that ideal of what we want our lives to be like set out by magazines and movie stars and whoevers telling you to buy the flat screen plasma TV and the super sexy purse made of moon dust and sunbeams (or whatever) and that’ll make your “Standard of Living” better because, “You deserve better/more.”

Nah, you don’t deserve or even need more or better – to be biblical you don’t even deserve life or air or water.

Money has been in my thoughts a ton recently because of being married and needing to pay our bills and eat. A few nifty little tid-bits are coming from these thoughts too, something’s I’d like to share here on the blog. So for the next few posts help me think through – or out loud – the matters of money.

India Thoughts (The rest of 'em)

1) Thank God for fans

2) Simple.

3) There's something about knowing no one which is beautiful.

4) Keep your eyes open.

5) The Bible is perfect curriculum.

6) We just get them the tools, they'll do the rest.

7) Leaving India was just as hard as leaving Egypt, 'cept I was Egypt for a ton more than 4 days.

8) Rule #2: if your phone rings during take-off it's really obvious someone wasn't paying attention.

9) No, we don't want to listen to your techno music. Yes, get some headphones this is a plane.

10) "If you never leave home, never let go, You'll never make it to the great unknown. Tell me you're strong tell me you see, I need to hear it can you prosmise me to keep your eyes open."

11) Everything I needed I carried on my back. Take that consumerism... But having a house is sure lovely.

12) I've been to where Americans would say East meets West.

13) You know you're almost back to America when an older African American lady is your flight attendant. And is awesome.

14) Lol, Dusseldorf

15) Washing & conditioning my hair is going to be glorious.

16) I just feel dirty.

17) My home for four days of this trip was a few a chair in the sky.
18) According to CST I've been gone 6 days. Technically I've been gone almost 8. Figure that out.

19) I wanna q-tip.

20) 'Merica

21) Played a fun game of "Is-that-a-guy-or-a-girl" in the US customs line.

22) I want & need bacon.

23) Aww they have a nice ole lady working at the front of the customs line!

24) Auntie Ann's first meal at home.

I got to sit in the Business class for one flight... here are the thoughts from that:

BUSINESS CLASS THOUGHTS:

1) I'll never be able to go back. You know, there, again.

2) I'm in business class. Where's my scotch, fiddle player, gourmet meal, & million dollars?

3) My chair has lumbar support.
4) If I stretch my legs out completely I can't touch the seat in front of me.

5) It should be considered inhuman treatment of humans to have an 'economy class.' I mean they're packed in there like cattle.

6) I'm ruined.

7) 2 rows in business class is like 400 rows of economy. So. Much. Space.

Preaching/Oscar Thoughts

1) I’m very excited to sit down.

2) Water.

3) Did anyone listen?

4) I should take a nap… but I know I won’t.

5) The Artist… Made possible by the Americans, twice.

6) Hugo = Adele of the Academy Awards

7) Ryan Seacrest had ashes dumped on him. I was joy filled.

8) Every time Billy Crystal opened his mouth I heard Monsters Inc.

9) Watching the Oscars with good friends made it worth watching.

10) I ate bacon three times this weekend & used it for making a point in my sermon twice.

Political

I’ve been having quite a few ‘political thoughts’ this past weekend (scary). Usually I like to steer clear of that whole arena of thinking and talking (some who know me, know this well).

(I'm calling it as I see it.)

But here’s the deal, the thing that sent me thinking all day Saturday. There is no leader to follow, none. None which will fix the problems of the nation or help the plight to get better.

Sure, they’ll all promise it when the time is come for ballots, but will they do it, no. It’s the same great scam over and over and over…etc, a suit stands in front of crowd gets their votes and makes a career out of what should be an honor.

Working for a few days a year then taking the rest of it off, tossing around some legal jargon (which they probably don’t understand) and then campaigning to get re-elected, using the same lies they used last time.

We’re used to it, we expect politicians to lie.

That’s despicable. We expect the people who lead us to lie to us…

I’m not going to tell you who to vote for. I’m not going to give you some savvy political advice. All I want out of this is to make a few people think.

Think about the simple fact there is no leader to unite a nation unto its salvation. Sooner or later all nations fail and fall Egypt, Greece, Rome there’s not yet been an exception.

I’m an American, an (voting) American who’s tired of crappy politicians and a fractured, divided and leaderless country (leaderless in the sense of none to unite all). Men died to see a free country; something tells if the vast majority of those men saw us now they’d be sorry.

But we don’t hope in a nation do we?

We hope in God. In Jesus.

An American's America

Reading by the candlelight, The Civil Wars playing in the background, sipping on some apple cider by all accounts relaxing. In and of itself is nothing to write home about or to blog about, but when compared to what the rest of the world gets, the ability to relax, to completely chill is profound.

But we whine about our small plights, or poor selves. Yet ironically enough the day after we give thanks for all we have we forego all sleep to buy more stuff. Who are we? What are we? A contradictory statement: having everything but needing more.

As Americans we’re free, right? Yet we’re still enslaved to stuff, and not our stuff, we’re enslaved to other people’s stuff. We want what they have. We’re a country of adulterous idolaters. Claiming to love One yet all the while going to bed with anything else.

What freedom is there in our society? The reply might be, “Freedom to do what we want,” freedom to be ruled by our animal self and all the longings of what we see? That’s not freedom. We’re still enslaved the difference is we just ‘like’ our master.

Don’t get me wrong I love my country, I’ve seen the world and I love living here. But a hundred years ago men worked to bring home the necessities and when they had no money they went without. It appears as though we’ve lost our reason (and by ‘reason’ I mean sense, ability to think clearly).

Self-satisfaction is the god, which rules our hearts. Self-appreciation is the worship song we sing. Self-worth is the highest possible virtue…

But we won’t change that. The master whipping our backs and sinking us into debt is what we call ‘freedom’ but freedom also means no hindrance of restraint, but we’re restrained by what we see in other’s hands, we’re restrained by the debt-collector. We’re locked up nicely in our plush cells – but their cell is nicer.

Stuff is nice, but if we have not a healthy perspective on stuff, stuff will kill us.

Bankruptcy, riots, and more because, “I want what they have, now.”