$tinginess is Unbecoming of Christians

I have to.

I just have to…

I vowed I’d not use my blog to post about money–unless it was a teaching. But then, Jesus spoke and used more teachings and parables about money than any other subject. On the right hand column, the number of entries I have on healing (though important!) far eclipses the posts I’ve made about money. And I won’t get into my needs or support raising. That’s not what this entry will be about. In fact, the only reason I ever resisted writing such an entry is for fear people would assume I’m talking about myself. So to avoid the conflict of interest, I will only use other peoples’ examples and not refer to my own personal life to make my points in this entry.

I feel some of the things I’m going to post have to be said by someone. The first few paragraphs may accidentally make me look critical if you didn’t know where I was going with this. So I will say at the outset, I think our general attitude is all wrong about being blessed financially as Christians, and that we’re highly judgmental of each other but don’t hold ourselves to the same standards we impose on others when it comes to financial blessing and ‘having stuff’.

Is it really wrong for Christians to have any money? Or are we just jealous and envious of those who do, and so we label them heretics or prosperity teachers?

Hear me out, and in exchange for your attention–like I said–I promise not to use any personal examples:

I hear people all the time say negative things about any minister or ministry that is even remotely blessed financially. It’s like if you are called to ministry, you are supposed to be poor, and only have enough money to live off. And if you’re a minister of the Gospel, it’s wrong to have or raise enough support to put money into savings or have a retirement plan. I know because I’ve heard it with my own ears and read it with my own eyes, so I’m not making straw man arguments to dismantle. However, one person who told me this was so convinced Jesus is about to come back and I won’t live long enough to need to have money saved aside, so why “waste God’s provision on savings” when I could put it to good use in the immediate? Ministers of the Gospel are supposed to trust God to provide, nevermind we make trusting Him easier for them. I know of a missionary family in Brazil, who get sent hand-me down clothes, and just plain stuff that people are throwing away. What would be wrong if someone bought some NEW clothes for them instead of sending them junk? Didn’t Jesus say whatever you do unto the least of these you do unto Me? If it’s not good enough for ourselves, why do we give away to anyone?! Junk for Jesus is what that is. Again, I’m not using personal examples, and even if I were, I’ve never experienced things bad like that, and my experience is that most people usually are generous.

But do we place that same standard on the rest of the church or “laity”–and say that if you are a business man or a blue collar worker that you shouldn’t be blessed or have any money whatsoever? Just enough to pay your bills and pay your tithe, and no more? No hobbies. No interests. No eating out ever, no buying gifts for yourself ever. Do business people who are Christians try not to be successful so as to avoid pride or temptation with money? I’ve never met a believer who is like that. There is glory given to God when anyone is successful with the talents God’s given them, and the stewardship of what He’s entrusted them.

I remember when I was a member at Auburn Bible Chapel in my teen years, and they were bringing in a new pastor, the elders stated in a public meeting what the amount of money they wanted to offer him per year was, and some people crapped their pants about how high it was. Now that I’m older, I see the amount was a modest one to try living off of and raising a family with. But something in us complains and criticizes if ministers or pastors have any money beyond just being able to survive-because it’s our giving/tithing and contributions that they’re living off of. We feel like we own them because we sow some money into them, so how dare they wear name-brand clothing? Do we want to bless others, or only give as little as absolutely possible to satisfy our conscience that we’re least giving? Nevermind the fact that most people in the congregation probably lived at a higher income level than what we paid our pastor! I’ve heard Kenneth Hagin say in regard to his earlier ministry in the 1940s and 1950s as a pastor, that he learned very fast that his congregations must have always prayed for him “Lord, You keep him anointed and we’ll keep him poor.”

A very influential leader in my life was expected to report to his elders any financial donations that were given to him personally, and then his leaders would deduct that amount of money from his paycheck. Nevermind the fact that these contributions were given to him by friends and family to bless him because they thought he didn’t have enough to live off of–but if any came in, that meant his church didn’t have to pay him as much! Ridiculous!

Let me ask something to those of you who hate wealthy ministers–do you think you would do better if entrusted with the large amounts of money said ministers have? It’s easy to talk about what we would and wouldn’t do if we had large amounts of money at our disposal–it’s easy to talk the talk when we’re not in that position! But boy how the story changes when one gets blessed. Friends, if you’re not generous with WHAT you do have, you won’t be when you have more. It’s a biblical principle, and it’s human nature.

On a tape series I listened to a couple of years ago by healing evangelist Billy Burke (who happens to wear bright suits, so I’m sure he must be a fake), shared a story one time of being invited to a church to hold a series of healing meetings. As a traveling minister, he relies on offerings and donations from the places that have him preach. He was at a relatively well-known and large church, and shared beforehand with the pastor how much he needed in finances to afford this trip, and the pastor promised to take up a special offering for him. As the series of meetings went on, the Spirit of the Lord broke out and dramatic healings were taking place. Before the last meeting, Burke talked privately with the pastor of this church–who still had not taken up that offering for him–that the Lord was going to really break out in that night’s meeting, and Burke told him when they take up an offering, the amount that came would be ______ and he told the pastor the large amount God told him it would be, but the pastor balked at it. Burke insisted that it would happen, and the Lord wanted to test/stretch this leader’s faith. But he also told him “I have expenses, so when that offering comes in could you please remember my travel costs, my staff, etc…” The pastor, not convinced of the “word” Burke had for him, said he’d see what he could do.

At that night’s meeting had a larger turnout than all the previous meetings, and the pastor had an offering taken up (not for Burke, but just in general). And sure enough, when the ushers counted the donations, it was the exact amount Burke told him it would be. To the last dollar, but either way, it was a miracle in the pastor’s eyes.

So the next day, as he was preparing to fly back home, he still had never received any recompense for his traveling there, and the minister never officially took up an offering for him like he assured him he would. So he brought it up and reminded him rather gently of the bills he has to pay and the staff who work for him, and the agreement they had prior to his coming. And foremost, Billy Burke reminded him of how that large offering came in like he predicted it would. The pastor started to get defensive, and asked Burke how much money “he thought he needed” in a condescending way. So Burke wrote down a modest amount of money on a slip of paper, and gave it to the pastor. The pastor looked at it, and replied cringingly, “Well Billy, that IS a lot of money“. And Burke asked him to consider his ability to help him out, and the pastor grudgingly wrote him the check–which was chump change compared to the size of the unexpected offering that came in the last night of the meetings, and of course he was never invited back and was accused by the pastor to some other ministers in that area of being difficult.

Large amounts of money can really reveal what is in peoples’ hearts, and it’s very easy to say “oh I’d never be like that” until a sizable amount of finances lands in our lap.

I won’t mention popular names or televangelists, but some of you will automatically assume you know who I’m refering to if I make other examples. But those of you who think it a waste for certain individuals to have more than one expensive car or their own jet (which I pretty much think is a waste too)–is it any less frivolous to spend your income on Xboxes, Play Stations, Nintendos, DVDs, movies and entertainment? Or is it only frivolous if it’s a large amount of money being spent on oneself? Do any of you give out of your surplus, or sacrificially on the little you have?

Some of these individuals may only give out of surplus, but at least they’re GIVING! This is more than many of the people my age I know–in fact, tithing Christians seems to be the exception to the rule compared to those I know who don’t–but will be the first to throw stones at anyone in the Church who even looks well off. Some of these men who are our favorite targets for criticism of their stewardship have actually put into practice what many of us don’t when it comes to sowing and reaping–some of them are just reaping what they’ve sown. We can criticize the ‘prosperity’ gospel message, but at least its adherents are practiticing what they preach.

I know a minister who wears expensive suits. But what almost nobody takes the time to learn is that this individual wears suits given to him by his ministry donors who want him to be looking sharp. But the way some of his critics speak, you’d figure he was using collections and offerings and robbing widows to do it. I’m not referring to Billy Burke either, who at every meeting I’ve been to of his, always warns the congregation that the offering being taken up for him will NOT be going towards a pair of shoes or a new suit for him! That makes me laugh when he says that, but in a sad way that it even needs to be said.

I went to school with a guy at FIRE, who came from the church of a well-known TV evangelist. I will not say names, but if you email me or IM me asking me if it is who you think it is, I’ll say so, I just won’t publicly on here. In the city this guy lived in, the police department was considering giving all its police officers a raise, but then due to some kind of city council decision it didn’t happen. This minister decided to give each and every police officer one thousand dollars of his own money as a way of thanking them for the hard work they do for that city, and that they were worth giving a raise to. The minister also wanted to give cheerfully with what the Lord had given him. I will not say more than that other than to say it was an American city with a population of around 4 million, so you can imagine for yourself the amount of officers the city’s police departments might have!

But you never hear those stories of ministers and their ‘lavish giving’. Instead we like to zero in on what they keep for themselves. How do we know the portion they’re keeping for themselves is not smaller by far, than the amount they give away? We don’t! Maybe it’s THAT large. Friends, I’m warning you, you better make sure your giving record is higher in proportion to your income/money than those individuals if you’re going to cast stones! In fact, another individual comes to mind who I heard recently paid for a church building to be constructed in Kentucky for a congregation that had lost their building by a tornado sometime two years ago or so. I’m not mentioning names, but the only hint I’ll give you is you’ve probably maligned him with your own words for how much money he has and how he dresses.

Make no mistake, I’m against hearing reports like “send your $1000 to us and God will bless you” and the manipulation that goes on for peoples’ finances. I’m not defending those ministers who ARE greedy and manipulating. But I am trying to jump in and add some balance and defend those who may be getting brushed with the same broad stroke of judgement. There may be some who are doing tremendous work for the kingdom of God, and we don’t know about it because we’ve written them off based on the size of the house they live in. But the ones who have “Lexus faith” and the fruit of your faith is your wealth–that type of crap is not what I’m defending. Yes I’m against when ministries are taking larger cuts from their proceeds and contributions for themselves than they document. But what I’m specifically challenging YOU on dear reader is if there’s anything being held back in your life that gives you the right to cast stones.

Do we waste money frivolously? Even if it’s just dollars or tens of dollars? Are you paying your tithe at all? Is it jealousy and envy that causes some of us to speak out against these other ministers? Let’s ALL be responsible financial stewards of the Lord’s provision, and not just critical of those who may or may not have been entrusted with more than ourselves.

P.S. I picked green for the font of an entry on money on purpose :p. Happy Valentine’s Day (forgot it was today, because being single I generally don’t care.)