Nine Learning To Live Without Avarice

Let me repeat—because there is such bad teaching on this issue—this is not an investment scheme. I have heard late-night preachers say, “If you send my ministry a thousand dollars, you will receive ten thousand dollars in return.” Then a couple tells a story of giving their last penny to the ministry and they miraculously got rich. This is contrary to the rest of Jesus’ teaching on money. Those who give this way—in an attempt to get a lot of money in return—are gripped by avarice, the very thing we are trying to be free of. It is a shame that in the name of Jesus these ministries play on people’s fears and desires, take their hard-earned money, and often use it for their own gain.

Once you understand kingdom economics you can better understand Jesus’ teaching. Earthly treasures decay. Heavenly treasures (investing in what God is doing) accrue eternal interest. Stingy people do not understand kingdom economics and are afraid to give generously because they fear it will be lost. And mammon is not the right god to serve; mammon makes no return on investments but merely takes from us and enslaves us. God liberates us from the bondage that comes when we love money more than people. Instead of concern for return on investment, apprentices are concerned about “return for the kingdom” (my friend Trevor, a Christian man who works in the business world, coined this phrase). When we invest in what God is doing, there is a return for the advancement of the kingdom. Shoes, cars and stocks cannot make this guarantee.

However, these kingdom economics are a challenge to put it into practice. Mammon’s tentacles reach everywhere and will subtly pull us toward itself.

Recently, neurologists scanned the brains of people of faith as they recalled and reexperienced the times they felt close to God, either in prayer, worship or solitude. Then they exposed the same people to stained glass, the smell of incense, icons and other religious images that connected people to God. The same specific area of the brain (called the caudate nucleus) lit up in all of these people when they felt connected to God. The caudate nucleus is not a “God spot,” just the part of our brain that is activated when we feel connected to the divine.

To what extent can you relate to the euphoric effect, much like a religious experience, of buying something special?

It gets even more interesting. The neurologists similarly tested another group, but this time exposed them to material possessions. When they showed images of products that were tied to “cool” brands, the exact same area of the brain lit up. The neuroscientists discovered that people who bought certain items experienced the same sensations as those who had deep religious experiences.

Martin Lindstrom observes:

When people viewed images associated with the strong brands—the iPods, the Harley-Davidson, the Ferrari, and others—their brains registered the exact same patterns of activity as they did when they viewed the religious images. Bottom line, there was no discernible difference between the way the subjects’ brains reacted to powerful brands and the way they reacted to religious icons and figures.

This is why Jesus called mammon a rival god. It also explains why I wanted those Adidas Americana sneakers so badly.

It is hard to avoid the temptations of mammon in contemporary American culture. Advertisers know how to play on our fears and desires. By the age of sixty we will have seen over two million commercials, which is the equivalent of watching nothing but those ads for eight hours a day, seven days a week, for six straight years. While they appeal to desire, more ads are tapping into our fears to get us to buy their products. Lindstrom explains:

Practically every brand category I can think of plays on fear, either directly or indirectly. We’re sold medicines to ward off depression, diet pills and gym memberships to prevent obesity, creams and ointments to quiet fears of aging, and even computer software to ward off the terrors of our hard drive crashing. I predict that in the near future advertising will be based more and more on fear-driven somatic markers, as advertisers attempt to scare us into believing that not buying their product will make us feel less safe, less, happy, less free, and less in control of our lives.

This is why living in the kingdom can be a cure to avarice and a way to say no to mammon. We can face those fears because we know who we are (indwelt by Christ) and where we live (in the strong and stable kingdom of God).

Jesus told the rich young ruler that in order to inherit eternal life he should give all of his money to the poor and follow Jesus (Luke 18:18-23). Many people have taken this to mean that Jesus expects this of all disciples. I don’t believe God wants us to live in poverty or as beggars. He never gave that command to anyone else in the Gospels. I believe God wants us to have adequate material provision for ourselves and our families. This includes a place to live, food, clothing, insurance, even money for recreation and vacations. I see no conflict with the kingdom of God and using our money to have a comfortable life. Poverty, if you have ever seen it, is not spiritual. It is closer to evil.

But we need to examine what adequate material provision looks like. Before we do, we need some perspective: 92 percent of the world’s population can’t afford a car. Yet in Western culture a car is not a luxury but is considered part of adequate material provision. How about having a home, medical insurance, a savings account and retirement plan? While most of us believe these too are adequate material provisions, we need to remember that most people on earth live without these things. But we need to ask questions like these and then apply the principles of the kingdom to discern how to answer them.

At the next level, though, questions about what we should have and how much we ought to give become more difficult. To be sure, many of us have more than we need, and much of the world lacks what they need. The longer we live in the kingdom of God, the more we will discover the needs of the world. And in light of kingdom economics we will find ourselves more able to give with a cheerful heart.

The kingdom solution is not financial stinginess or carelessness, but simplicity. Simplicity is an inner attitude that affects what we choose to purchase. According to Richard Foster, simplicity is “an inward reality that results in an outward lifestyle.” It must first be an inward reality. This involves adopting the right narrative about wealth, knowing that it is a provision from God, but must not be treated as a god. If we don’t know this inwardly, our attempts at simplicity will result in legalism. Once we have the inward reality in place, we can make our outward, lifestyle decisions.

Instead of being legalistic about the kind of car or home we should own, the best approach is to ask the following questions with our large purchases (and some small ones).

Do I really need this?

Will it bring me kingdom joy (and not merely temporary happiness)?

How much of the money I would spend on this item can I free up to invest in heavenly treasures?

This is the kingdom way to use our money. I am not interested in making a person feel guilty about having a $3.86 latte, owning a Jaguar or vacationing in the Caribbean. Instead, I am interested in helping people—under the leading of the Spirit and in light of the kingdom—make informed choices about their resources.

The apostle Paul does not say that money is the root of all evil. He said the love of money is the root of all evil. Loving money often traps a person. Paul counseled:

Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
(1 Timothy 6:6-10, italics added)

How would you rate yourself in the area of simplicity?

Paul advocates contentment with adequate provisions. Beyond that we are tempted to serve mammon and not God.

We are continually tempted to create laws: A Christian must give everything to the poor. People who love Jesus don’t drive luxury cars. It’s sinful for a Christian to wear jewelry when there are poor people. We like to make laws because they provide security, allow us to feel good about ourselves and give us a way to judge others. Though Jesus told the rich young man to give away all of his possessions (Luke 18:22), another passage tells of a woman who poured a very expensive jar of oil on Jesus’ feet.

When the disciples saw it, they were angry. “Why this waste? For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me.” (Matthew 26:8-10)

We are tempted to turn Jesus’ teachings into universal laws:

In every situation, you must turn the other cheek and never strike back, even when you see someone being attacked.

Always tell the truth, even if it ruins your relationships.

Never let anyone see you pray; Jesus forbids it!

Give everything away and live in poverty, as Jesus commanded.

Living in the kingdom requires wisdom. It entails understanding Jesus’ teachings not as universal laws (except the Great Commandment, to love God, self and neighbor) but as insights for kingdom living. We need to examine the ways we spend money, how we think about possessions, and see them in light of the kingdom of God.

So would I buy those cool athletic shoes today? Maybe. But the decision-making process would be done through the lens of the life with God I have come to know. But I would not love them or invest my emotional life in them as I did when I was eleven. And I would answer a number of questions before I made the purchase: Do I need them? Do I understand that they won’t make me content? Am I spending too much on them and thus less able to invest in the kingdom?

Today, I am less likely to spend God’s money (I am his steward) on something that I don’t need. But I am not going to say there is no way I would do that. I know better. I am a child of God, living in his abundant kingdom and not under a law.

The Lenten season is usually a time when people give up things (coffee, chocolate, TV) for several weeks. This week I want you to try giving things away. Give five things away that would be of some value to someone else. It can’t be junk but must be in good shape—something that will be a blessing to someone else.

If at all possible, give these possessions to someone you know. But be careful; some people aren’t comfortable accepting unsolicited gifts—especially used ones! Don’t give someone your old clothes or a pair of decent shoes you don’t need. Your friend will not want this strange handout and may feel you are being condescending. Instead, I am thinking of situations like this: say you have three guitars and you know someone who wants to learn to play guitar but does not have one. Give one of them away. If you have something nice that you are sure a friend would appreciate, bless them with it.

I did this exercise over Lent one year, giving away one thing for each of the forty days of Lent. I had, for example, a pristine copy of a famous novel, and I knew of a friend who loved this author but did not have the book. So I was able to give it to her, and she was genuinely blessed. On the other hand, I had a very nice and barely worn pair of shoes that I did not need. In that case, I dusted them off and took them to the disabled veterans store. I left knowing that someone would appreciate a very nice pair of shoes, and I took comfort knowing that the veterans somehow profited as well.

Some people doing this exercise have very little money. I have had students who, frankly, had very few possessions. If that is the case, be at peace. You probably have a few small items (CDs, books, DVDs) that you could give away. Others have an opposite problem. They have a storage room full of stuff that they don’t need. Their challenge is to sort through these things to find what would be of value to others.

Most people, though, struggle with letting go of things. Some of us feel great attachment to everything we own. You may find it difficult to watch your things go out the door. If this is the case, remind yourself that you live in the kingdom and that the things that really make you happy cannot be bought.

One final caveat: Avoid the temptation to buy new things to replace those you have given away!

Your aim is to be five things lighter by next week. Think about how much of a blessing they could be in the hands of the right people. Offer this prayer: “God, help me to get these to people who will be blessed by them.” God bless you as you de-accumulate.