Responses to DB - A Blog Series - Finances

*This is the last post of this series. This has been a great series for me and I have been forced to think much about these topics. I hope that they were as insightful for you as they were for me.*

The topic of finances is always a tough discussion for me. For most of my life, my earthly father has been my counselor in regards to my financial future and the best things that will help me be successful. The issue arises when we begin to not see eye-to-eye on the path that I am leading in regards to how I will be affected financially. And because of this friction, just about any conversation having to deal with the way in which I handle my finances is a difficult one. However, DB spoke my language on this one!

"Money is a spiritual issue."

How critical is that comment! If we begin to view money in the aspect of its spiritual consequences, we begin to have a new respect for the unit. If we see money as a way to worship God, we see it in a different light. We are able to see it as a gift from God and something that should be used liberally to further His cause. We begin to see it as a spiritual discipline to tithe. Less than 2% of the church tithes! Why? Because it is still tied to them. It is their material possession. It is not God's spiritual loan of sustenance. When we begin to see this as a blessing from the LORD, we are able to see that it is not ours and that we did nothing to earn another material possession. Rather, we did what we could to glorify God with our talents and gifts and He blessed us with the sustenance for another day or week.

DB quoted Jim Dobson in this way:

"Whatever I own ends up owning me."

I think about this and I start to understand what Jim is talking about. At the beginning of last year, I purchased a car. This car was pretty nice. Ok, I probably spent too much money on the item, but I could afford the monthly payment and decided to commit to 5 years of payments. The loan is neither here nor there. The point is that the coming days and weeks and probably even months, I was obsessed with the car. I would wash it every week, I would sweep it out every week and I wanted to show it off to everyone that wanted to see it. I became obsessed with the car. I wonder what I could have done with that obsession? What lives would have been changed if I use that energy and fervor in the manner that glorifies God?

I am reminded of what Jesus said after his encounter with the Rich Young Ruler in Mark:

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." - Mark 10:24b-25

I have been blessed for much of my life with plenty. I have been blessed with the ability to not worry about having a meal at the table or money for gas in my car. I enter into a time that I will probably not be as blessed as I have been for most of my life. How will I manage the little that I will be blessed with? How will I continue to pour out even my finances so that I can continue to follow God's call to reach the lost, poor, and broken and remain a poor man? Is it more noble to be a poor man? How do remain a non-rich man and continue to live a life that allows me to do God's work as a communicator, speaker, teacher, discipler?