God's Economy

God’s Economy

God’s economy is so radically different from the world’s economy!

The world’s economy is based upon consumption and selfishness. Buy,
buy buy….. Spend money you do not have to purchase things that you do
not need has been the American philosophy for decades. People have
been tripping over themselves for decades to fulfill selfish desires
and procure what the world says that they “need” to live happy and
fulfilled lives. The entire world economy is collapsing as the fruits
of cheap credit have evolved into a black hole of debt that is pulling
the entire world into it’s gravitational vortex. Sin always has
consequences.

God’s economy is the opposite of the world’s economy. It is based upon
giving instead of consuming. Jesus Christ in His perfect love and
obedience gave everything for us, as He died on the cross. He lived
the only perfect life that has ever been lived. He died the only
perfect death that has ever been died. We are called to emulate Him.
We are called to empty ourselves of our own desires and agendas and
possessions. We are called to lay down our lives, pick up His cross,
and walk after Him. God’s economy commands that we give--- that we
give our time, our money, our love all in God’s service. God’s economy
commands that we not only give but that we give sacrificially as Jesus
gave sacrificially for us. If we are giving only what it is
comfortable to give, I would suggest that we are not emulating Jesus.
After all, we are called to share in His sufferings that we might also
share in His glory.

There are so many beautiful paradoxes in God’s Word and in Christian
practice! This is one of them. The paradox is this….. The more that
we give, the more that we have to give. This is true of love, of
talent/skill and of time. The more love that we give, the more that we
are filled with God’s love and overflow with His abundance. The more
of our talents & gifts we use in His service, the more talents and
gifts we find we have to use in His service. And time--- I do not know
how He does it but He always manages to multiply my time--- somehow
supernaturally it seems to me. I have discovered over and over again
that the more time that I spend serving others, the more time and
energy that I have to spend serving others.

God’s economy even works when it comes to money. When our tithe is the
first expense of the month, instead of the last, God does open the
floodgates of heaven and shower down blessings (not necessarily
financial blessings). God’s own word says that we can test Him
regarding this….. And, again I do not know how He does this but when I
spend above and beyond my monthly budget in seeking to financially help
others, my budget is balanced at the end of the month.

Please do not misunderstand me! I am NOT preaching prosperity gospel,
which I consider to be an awful misunderstanding/misapplication of
scripture. God does not take the $500.00 that you give to the shady
televangelist and multiply it into $10,000.00. That is NOT the way
that He works. His economy is far more perfect, compelling, mysterious and
beautiful.

Jesus praised the widow who gave her last penny to the church. She
gave her last penny knowing that it was everything she possessed in the
world and not knowing where her next meal would come from. And she
gave more than all of the wealthy who gave a tiny percentage of what
they owned….. God calls us to give everything to Him, both literally
and figuratively.

I wonder, how is this going to look in our lives in the year to come? When the world's economy tells us to hold onto every penny, for dear life, God's economy suggests that we trust Him completely and continue to give. God tells us to seek His kingdom first and that He will provide for our other needs. How much more difficult it is to take Him at His work when the sky is falling around us and our every instinct is self focus and self preservation....