Getting Robbed for Money!

Do you understand what our current economic system has done to us? We dedicate ourselves to a career or job. This job then controls much of our time. In some cases it controls the majority of our waking hours. It puts us in a competitive environment every day. We compete with other businesses for a share of the market or for that customer. We compete with our co-workers for advancement. We have a benevolent yet competitive relationship with our bosses. In all this the ultimate goal is money. I’ve heard it said, “If it weren’t for the money I wouldn’t need this job.”

What does this do to our ability to live our faith in an active way? In the middle of your day can you stop to minister for several hours without the fear of losing your job? Does your employment force you to put your ministry on a calendar? Many times even those in full time ministry do not have the freedom or flexibility to adjust their schedules as the Spirit leads. Is this the way it has to be?

We are experimenting here in St. Louis. We are working in our ministry and trying to keep our focus on the spiritual. We work with our hands and try to stay flexible. So far we have learned a few things. One thing we have learned is that the 40 – 50 hour workweek does not have to fit a schedule. If you are all working together for the same goal then it results in flexibility. The other morning someone knocked on our door at 6:15am asking us to help move furniture for an elderly couple that was being evicted. We were able to re-arrange our workday to allow us to minister. Flexibility is the key. Can we truly have that flexibility when a profit motivated entity is our employer? Can we have that ability to minister in that way when our employer demands our presence from 9 – 5? We can only have flexibility when the social aspect of our faith rules over the money aspect of our work.

We have also learned that we must lead frugal lifestyles in order to enjoy this flexibility. We consume too much as Americans. We live excessive and exorbitant lifestyles. Look around your house and see what I mean. Our appetites and affections rob us of flexibility. In the end it is the pursuit of money that has robbed us. Paul rightly implored the Corinthians that it was their affections that restrained them.

Many people have bought into the lie that money will determine our quality of life. In the pursuit of “Our” money we have lost sight of the reality of community that God intends us to live out. We think we can ignore problems in other areas as if they are not our own. American’s believe they can secure their family’s future with their wealth and by relocating to “safe” neighborhoods. This is a shell game. History shows us that the poor will not be left to die. They rise up and rebel against the wealthy. In America they are doing it politically and through taxation. When God’s people store up for themselves with little regard for the care of others then God Himself will avenge the poor.

As we experiment in St. Louis we hope to rediscover the balance that the Christian life was meant to have. We work with our hands to supply for our needs and then we sacrifice our lives for others. If we are successful in our experiment we will find a balance between supplying for our needs and working in the power and leading of the Holy Spirit to minister to those around us.