Does God Want Me to be Rich?

I have wanted to comment on this for some time now, so now that we are mired deeper in this economic dilemma I have returned to an article on the ministry of Joel Osteen, “God Wants Me to Be Rich,” from the August issue of Conde Nast Portfolio.  Can everyone say, “prosperity gospel revisited?”

They are really packing them in at Lakewood Church in Houston.  Over 40,000 regular attendees swoon over the words of their “Reverend Feelgood” and why not?  Most of those regular congregants face high gas prices, swollen credit card balances, possible mortgage issues, and job insecurity.  We deserve to hear a great message of hope, to hear what we deserve, to hear an encouraging word on our situation.

But a closer look may reveal that Americans still look to Scripture for answers, especially to those large questions about their finances.  This is good—God wants us to look to Him for answers, for help, for trust, for mercy.  These represent those attributes of our Heavenly Father that make us run to Him over and over again through life.

Can one man soothe the suffering?  Does Osteen bring anything new to the plate that helps us understand the care of our Lord in these troubled times?  We might want to examine closely the words of all of our spiritual leaders as we move through this part of history together.  Do they invoke Scripture as support for their position?  Do they defer to the masses over tricky doctrinal issues that deserve closer attention?  Are they avoiding the issues in order to remain popular?

One thing for sure—many of our spiritual leaders today have perfected their “branding.”  Osteen made his brand the “inspiration brand.”   I am waiting to hear from someone who says he has been “branded by God.”

The next generation deserves better and we must encourage them to embrace a biblical perspective on the economy and their personal financial situation.  It seems easy to talk about what we deserve; it is harder to talk about what we should give up for the sake of the Kingdom.

Stewardship and the Ultra Rich

Conde’ Nast Portfolio published a feature article called “The Generosity Index” in their November issue.  This profiles the upper tier of philanthropy in the U.S., complete with a ranking of the wealth and generosity of billionaires whose giving is known to the public.  They are quick to point out that the list may not include billionaires who choose to do their giving in private (apparently a sizable number of the wealthiest choose to remain anonymous).  As Scripture says, do not announce your charitable deeds with trumpets (Matthew 6:2); I wondered if that was what they were thinking.

During this time of great economic uncertainty, the ultra rich could seize an opportunity to set an example of generosity.  But do they?  As I looked over the short profiles of these billionaires, I saw that their gifts were directed largely toward three areas:  education, the arts, and health care.  Poverty and the environment come in there in lower numbers.  Curiously absent from these profiles was any major giving to religious causes.  It almost seems that the ultra rich want to play God instead of lending their largess to those ministries doing the Lord’s work here on earth.

A theme that emerges from this article is that the rich give to try to outdo one another.  One fundraising consultant summed it up, “Successful men and women want to outdo other successful men and women.”  One possible result of this one-upmanship is philanthropic dollar inflation.  In other words, an eight-figure gift can’t get you any respect these days.  The consultants are saying you have to have a $100 million gift in order for your charity to upgrade.  The billionaires are coughing up more, but doing it over a multi-year period in order to get into the category of nine figures.

I have wondered many times whether philanthropy on these levels really accomplishes much.  It seems that billions have been spent in the name of finding cures, increasing scholarship, and defining quality in the arts.  What has been the lasting effect?  One has to wonder.  I remember reading something by economist and educator Howard Bowen written back in the 1970s that dealt with “the revenue theory of cost” in higher education.  Essentially, this theory stated that in higher education the costs will always rise in accordance with how much money can be gotten or raised. Bowen argued in his works that the economics of higher education centered not on profit motives, but rather on prestige and increasing the quality of students’ educational experience.  I would argue that prestige might be the number one factor in organizations seeking larger and larger gifts.  It seems the one-upmanship of the givers has been transferred to the charitable organizations they lavishly support.

Should the next generation look to these billionaires as embodiments of stewardship?  My thinking is that we might learn from these folks, but the true lessons learned are by being faithful with the amounts we have—whether large or small.  The Lord looks on the heart.  I wonder what the hearts of some of these rich look like and I hope that they one day might experience the heart change that Christ has to offer.  Let’s learn to give from the heart, and not from our desire to attract the admiration of men.

Responding to Economic Uncertainty–Some Practical Tips

After seeing the Presidential debate last night, I felt a little uneasy.  Yes, the primary topic was the economy and I was not real sure if either candidate knew a proper solution to our current situation.  In fact, I was hoping to hear someone invoke the need for prayer and how we need to rely on God during these times.  There was never a mention of appealing to God about anything.  I wondered who were the candidates’ primary economic advisors.   We listened for reassuring words and got nothing.

As a believer, we know we are stewards of God’s things so why worry?  In Him is the assurance we need.  Happiness is not based on what we have and do but rather on who we are in Christ.  We keep telling ourselves these things during tough times, however the uneasiness creeps in.  What are some practical things to do now to help us respond to the economic uncertainty we see?

1.  Resist the urge to compartmentalize. Compartmentalization leads to reliance on self rather than reliance on our Lord.  If you take all of the areas of life, i.e. family, finances, jobs, hobbies, church, friends, there is a tendency to keep some of these areas separate from the others.  It is like we are not an integrated whole.  When we place all these things with Christ at the center, then we move away from compartmentalization and see our lives as integrated wholes in Christ.  Finances probably fall into the compartmentalization problem more than others just by its nature.  Resist the tendency and lean on the Everlasting Arms.

2.  Focus on the attributes of God. I have been so encouraged by reading through passages of Scripture referring to the attributes of God.  Our God is faithful, He is love, He is truth, He is good, He is wise, He is omnipotent, He is omniscient, and He is patient.  Because of who He is, we have stability, we have certainty, we have hope, and we have assurance.  I would encourage anyone to take time to go through key passages in the Bible and rest in knowing that we serve a God who truly cares for us as we face the issues of the day.  As Psalm 121:1-2 expresses, “. . . where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

3.  Give yourself first. This may sound simple.  I recommend keeping it simple.  Reach out to others during this time and give of yourself.  Fellowship and sharing are good for the soul.  We need more of this during times like these.  Also, give yourself first to the Lord before you stress over stewardship issues.  Just like the Macedonians that Paul commended in 2 Corinthians 8:5, they gave themselves first to the Lord and this undergirded their generosity in all matters.  Uncertainty fades away when we know others are experiencing similar things.

4.  Remind yourself where your devotion is. I always say, “when you love, you give.”  This is an underlying stewardship principle.  Don’t stop giving in troubled times.  Find ways to give.  Giving expresses devotion, trust, reliance, honor, dependence, and gratitude to the Lord.  This is not the time to argue about topics like tithing and investing.  Merely give and show your devotion to He who is greater than all these things.

This list could go on and I would encourage you to personalize your list of ways to combat the uncertainty of today’s economy.  Make the list, and then put it into practice!