Stewardship Jesus' Way - question 3

Do we have to feel guilty about what we have and not enjoy the things that God has given? 

We are in the top 5% of the wealth of the world, simply because we live in the United States.  Our poorest poor are richer than 95% of the world.  We are blessed.  But now what do we do with that?  Should we wallow in guilt over this or is there a more productive approach?

The mind-numbing affects of affluence can cause even the most faithful to stumble. Affluence hides things that are important.  That doesn’t mean that affluence is bad, but it can be distracting and destructive to values and important practices if we’re not careful.  It erases desperateness and our perception of things that we truly need to the point where we find ourselves naked even though we’re fully clothed.  Affluence can be a subtle thief that takes withdrawals from our accounts of joy - a little here, a little there -lulling us to sleep until one day we wake up emotionally and/or spiritually bankrupt and more desperate than if we had material need. 

Scripture talks about the pitfalls of affluence, but it also talks about the blessings we are to enjoy.  There are times of fasting and times of feasting in a life dedicated to God.  Having His perspective with a posture ready to use these blessings on a moment’s notice surely makes Him smile.  There are people who have the gift of making things fruitful. Without these generous benefactors society would be missing a beautiful part these Givers are called to play. As we discern the negative aspects of affluence – greed, excessive leisure, etc. – we must take care to not lump everyone who is wealthy into a negative category.  Laziness is laziness whether someone has material wealth or not.  Greed is greed no matter the size of the bank account.  I’ve experience incredibly wealthy people with immense hearts for God (and the poor) and I’ve been around the material poor who are stingy and filled with bitterness toward the rich.  I’ve also seen the reverse.  We are called to represent God as stewards.  He owns it all and calls us to receive a full life immersed in His grace. This is distinct and different than having an entitlement attitude – I earned it, I deserve it – that can keep our hearts small. 

Why does God own it all?  Because He made everything.  He gives us our breath every moment, keeps our heart beating in a regular rhythm and causes our synapses to fire in our brains.  He keeps the sun shining so that the earth can produce food, we can eat and have energy to do work with the skills He has entrusted to us to contribute to His balance of all things…life.  Science can describe these things, but is not the reason they happen.

We should hang onto material things only as much as we need to steward them well. To follow the stewardship of Jesus requires discipline.  It can be a rigorous and exhausting exercise to figure out how to use our abundance to meet the needs of others, our own need and be aligned with God’s purposes.  It requires a relationship with God to hear and know His purposes.  It takes determination and discipline to align our purposes and resources with His work.  Let nothing distract us from the things of God and the practices necessary to keep our rebellious hearts disciplined and tuned into true freedom, not the allurement of wealth and the brand of freedom the world is peddling.