Sunday, May 10, 2009

1 Timothy 6

If you are a recovering alcoholic, it's a good idea not to hang out in bars. Having a drink isn't a sin, but it's a stumbling block if you have a drinking problem. That's just logical. Common sense.

But, I have a money problem. So reading this chapter, which talks about loving money, the temptation of material things, the problem with discontentment, and the sins that it leads to, I am forced to draw a difficult conclusion. Maybe I shouldn't be around money then.

What does this mean? How does this play out? If having money tempts me to rely on it instead of God for contentment, provision, and security then it stands to reason I should get rid of it, right? Roughly 67% of the readers of this blog have asked me about an earlier post where I talked about Francis Chan's message at Orange challenging me to follow through with three crazy things. (It was really just my mom and mother-in-law but as far as I know, there are maybe only three people who read this blog anyway.) So the first two were 1) to call up a mother of a teenage girl I love and ask if I can get more involved in her life and 2) to complete the application process to become a foster parent. Both of those I did in the last week. But the third crazy thing is to get rid of our financial safety net.

Look, I know about all the Dave Ramsey stuff about saving for the future and having an emergency fund so you don't have to take on debt, but I think I may be moving, not away from that, but past that. We're out of debt completely and at present, we make enough to pay the bills. But, to some degree, I'm worried about what our saving account represents. For one thing, like Francis points out, saving for an emergency when over 25,000 children will die today of preventable causes is kind of silly. And, knowing I have it there seems a little like having bottles of vodka hidden all over my house in case I start jonesing for a drink.

So as you can tell, I am really thinking pretty crazy thoughts about all this but have clearly not landed yet on what exactly to do about it. I just think that for me and my husband, recovering moneyholics, the temptation of having that pile there as my fall-back plan may just be more temptation than is smart.

3 comments:

Bea said...

FUNNY, I NEVER THOUGHT OF SAVINGS AS AN 'EMERGENCY' FUND. WE ARE NOT EXPECTING AN EMERGENCY, RATHER WE ARE PREPARED TO DISPURSE FUNDS AT GOD'S INSTRUCTION. HE TOLD US LONG AGO, DON'T GIVE IT OUT OF PITY,COMPULSION, OR EMOTION, OR YOU MAY GIVE AWAY SOMEONE ELSES BLESSING. IT WORKS FOR US TO DISPURSE THE FUNDS HE GIVES TO US AS HE SAYS. THEN YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE WHAT YOU NEED TO GIVE WHEN HE DIRECTS. DON'T HANG ON TO IT, YET DON'T DISPURSE IT CARELESSLY. OUR TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IS IN HIM NOT THE MONEY. HE IS THE GOD OF 'MORE THAN ENOUGH'. AS FOR 'EMERGENCIES', HE DOES GREAT AT HANDLING THOSE TOO, AS WE PUT OUR TRUST IN HIM!!! KEEP LISTENING TOGETHER WITH YOUR HUSBAND--GOD IS ALWAYS ON TIME.

Bea said...

Another thing--I forget there is money in savings, until God says move it. It is kinda' like retirement, never really thought about it. Don't really want to sit in a rocking chair and do nothing. Just forget the money is there. Then you are tempted to buy a Corvette!

Bea said...

WHOOPS! I mean you are NOT tempted to buy a new Corvette!