Today, American Christians have embraced a culture of capitalism that is warned about in the Bible. These beliefs are stifling our ability to “enhance and advance the Kingdom”. Two quick examples:
One example is:
“In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.” – Proverbs 21:20
In the foolish man’s household, everything God gives him, he devours and spends as if tomorrow will never come. The wise man saves some, so when tomorrow comes, he will have enough, more than enough, as God provided.
This can very easily be a life verse: it contains an admonition that can be applied to both the spiritual and worldly parts of our lives. This verse should be wake up to Christians in America. So many Christians have bought into American Capitalism that tells us to spend, spend, spend, and when we don’t have enough, it tells us to use debt to keep on spending. This American Capitalism is found in the Bible under the terms of a “foolish man’s principle” of “devouring all he has” or “consuming”. Why do you think economists call America’s citizens “consumers”?
Why are Christians following in the footsteps of a foolish man, instead of in Jesus’? I am hoping and praying that Christians in America will receive revival in their finances that will permeate through their whole lives personally and corporately, so we can live humbly as Jesus did and fund the Great Commission as Christ said, unencumbered by debt and a lifestyle that requires vast amounts of selfish spending.
The second example:
A pastor once gave an example of a single female waitress that was 25 with three kids that needed prayer. So, he prayed for her. While her spirit needed support, how much did her worldly self need financial help? Many American Christians do not have the resources to help her financially because they are so tied up in selfish spending, living a lifestyle that is not humble, and enslaved to debt that they could never hear that woman’s unstated plea for financial help. This situation is faced by a plethora of American Christians every day, and the situation is similar to the verse in the Bible that says:
15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? 26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. – James 2:14-26
There is both encouragement and admonishment in this verse. So many Christians are so financially strapped and enslaved to debt that are not effective to show God’s compassion or to fully fund the Great Commission. American Christians have bought into American Capitalism that tells us to spend, spend, spend, and when we don’t have enough to use debt to keep on spending. This American Capitalism has robbed our effectiveness to God. As Christians, we should stand up to this consumerism and the debt that funds it, in all its forms, and speak to Truth that is found in the Bible.
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Revival will come when we learn to seek God on our knees asking forgiveness for our selfish ways.
I am hoping and praying that Christians in America will receive revival in their finances that will permeate through their whole lives personally and corporately, so we can live humbly as Jesus did and fund the Great Commission as Christ said, unencumbered by debt and a lifestyle that requires vast amounts of selfish spending.
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