The Biggest Demon You Will Face
Robert F. Browning, Pastor, Smokerise Baptist Church, Stone Mountain, GA
Do you talk to your kids about money? I'm referring not only to their spending habits, but also money management skills. Are you teaching them how to be good stewards? I hope so.
I still talk to my kids about money and all three are in their twenties, have jobs (with benefits!) and live on their own. I do so for two reasons. Money management is important to me. Secondly, if I don’t talk to them about money, I am not sure anyone else will. At least, I am not going to take that chance.
One thing I tell them is that when they start making money, a substantial amount of money, the biggest demon they will face is selfishness. I have told them that they cannot imagine how possessive they will become. They will fight the demon of greed all their lives.
I don’t recall them asking me how to overcome that demon, but I’ve told them anyway. I’d like to share with you today some of the things I’ve tried to teach them. I believe you will find these suggestions helpful, too.
Direction for spending money will come when I acknowledge that everything I have belongs to God, not me. I’ve tried to help my children understand that we are stewards, not owners. We are merely managing what a gracious and benevolent God has provided.
David’s prayer in I Chronicles 29: 14-16 means a lot to me. David was leading his people to pool their resources so that they could build a temple in which to worship God. This prayer flowed from his heart when he saw the people’s offerings.
“Who am I and who are my people that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. O Lord our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand and all of it belongs to you.”
David was the wealthiest man in Israel. You know he faced enormous temptation to be greedy and selfish. How did he overcome this temptation and lead his people by example to give so sacrificially to build a temple to God? He settled this matter of ownership. Everything belonged to God as he so eloquently stated. Once he realized this, he loosened his grip on what he possessed and sought God’s will for its use.
This is where anyone must begin if he or she is going to overcome the demon of selfishness. Our attitude toward resources and possessions changes when we realize whose they are. It changes the question we need to ask from “How am I going to spend my money?” to “How would God have me use His resources?” Answers to the latter question will provide clear direction for financial decisions we must make.
I’ve tried to help my children understand that God is looking for people He can bless but He has to be careful. Most cannot handle it. They become selfish and greedy and make poor stewards. I don’t want that to happen to my children.
Secondly, peace of mind comes with being responsible money managers. I’ve tried to help my children understand that the number one source of anxiety in their lives will be money and usually it is the result of poor money management. I’ve also taught them that there is no way to describe the peace of mind that accompanies living within your means and being honest.
After my daughter married, her living room furniture for the first six months consisted of two lawn chairs and a table. After someone visited them, they asked me, “Why don’t you buy those kids some living room furniture?” I replied, “Because it would be the worst thing I could do for them.” Now, Jackie and I gladly help our children like you help yours, but saving their money and buying their own furniture one piece at a time would teach them more about money management than a boat load of sermons or lectures.
I suppose what I have talked to my children about more than anything else is the danger of credit cards. It is so easy to be irresponsible in our society, especially with the use of credit cards. I cringe when I think how frequently this is happening.
Are you aware that the average family in America has ten credit cards and the average credit card debt that a family is carrying is $8,000? Did you know that one in five families is delinquent on that debt? Did you know that if you owe $2,000 on a credit card and pay only the minimum balance each month that you will never pay off that balance?
Unmanageable debt is like a noose around your neck and it gets tighter each month. I’ve seen it literally choke the life out of people for it is a leading cause of depression and suicide. How tragic! We really are blessing ourselves to death, aren’t we?
Recently, I heard another statistic that alarmed me. In 1991, the average wage earner saved twelve percent of his or her income. Today, the average wage earner spends one percent more than he or she makes. This philosophy of money management and lifestyle will not lead to peace of mind but the highest level of stress.
Thirdly, to overcome the demon of greed, we need to realize that happiness comes with being unselfish. I’ve told my children that the more they give the happier they will be. The two are directly related.
I know this contradicts the world’s formula for happiness. It tells us that happiness and possessions are directly related. The purpose for living, according to modern thought, is to accumulate and hoard a lot of possessions and indulge in unlimited pleasures. In other words, personal pronouns are good for you.
Speaking of personal pronouns, count the number of them in the parable of the Rich Fool as recorded in Luke 12:13-21. There are ten. This farmer continually used the words I, me and mine, words that Barclay refers to as “aggressive pronouns.”
According to Fred Craddock, this man “lived for himself, talked to himself, planned for himself, congratulated himself and trusted in himself.” No mention was made in this story of sharing his wealth, only hoarding it. Neither did he say anything about God’s goodness, his gratitude for God’s blessings or his accountability for the use of his vast resources. In other words, he never saw beyond himself. There was total disregard for the needs of others and the generosity of God.
How did Jesus describe this narcissistic farmer? He called him a fool and said that very night he would be separated from all he thought would insure longevity and happiness.
If it is true that happiness comes from giving, then this will require discipline. We will have to fight the temptation to lavish ourselves with more and more possessions and even decide before a penny is spent how much we are going to give away. Giving strictly from leftovers will produce little, if any, happiness.
A few years ago, Thomas Cannon was a postal clerk in Virginia earning $22,000 a year. Over a ten-year period, he gave away over $58,000. When asked why he did it, he replied, “I deliberately hold my standard of living down. Instead of saving money to buy a new car, I save money to help people. I feel people should give of themselves unselfishly. Giving gives me great satisfaction, especially in this day and age when people have become so callous. I want to emphasize the importance of human life. It should be valued more highly than anything else. I’m just demonstrating how people should care about others.”
What do your lifestyle and spending habits communicate about your values? Take some time this week to examine them and ask God to reveal changes you need to make. It’s never too late to change and He will certainly help you. He will also help you teach your children what you are learning about being a faithful steward.
©Bob Browing