Rusty Kelley, Seeking a Short Term Savior
There are many passages in scripture that I struggle with, and this tends to be one that always makes me pause when I come across it. Likewise, I’m reminded of the parable in Luke 12 of the rich man who built more barns for himself and said “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” Condemnation follows for both men. The questions that haunt me are this: In today’s world where saving up money is important to support yourself and your family in later years, how do we balance prudent wisdom in saving vs. passages in scripture that many see as calls to give away all that you have with rebukes against hording treasure for yourself? Second, those who have saved wisely are capable many times of giving much more because of their investments and their use of their wealth in later periods. How can we prudently save for children, family, unforeseen circumstances and retirement yet honor what the Lord says? Can it be that there is simply a level of savings that is condemned, or is it something much more? The first thing I’ve learned in this study is that one thing is very true when reading scripture: we must always be cautious about using the measuring stick of our society to understand scripture, especially when we talk about wealth. In today’s society, especially in our country, we live with more resources than almost any people in history, and this is one area where Hollywood got it right, “with great power, comes great responsibility.” I often ask myself if I will be able to look Christ in the eye one day and give account of how I handled the financial resources God gave me to further His kingdom.
“If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
But
I’ve realized that what I would be most ashamed of is not the relative
amount that was spent on me vs. what I give to others, but rather, how
often I covet the security of money. At this point in my study, I saw very quickly the similarity with all of these rebukes in scripture. The parable of the rich man (Luke 12:16) is told in the context of security. It is followed by Christ’s words about worrying about what you will wear and eat. It is the very security that we covet so much with money. In fact, one could say that we look to it as a temporary Savior. True,
many of us will admit that money is fleeting, but let’s be honest, it
can easily be mistaken for a savior of “tomorrow’s” problems. So often I find myself seeking a “short term savior” in this way.
I’ve learned once again that all we are given is already the
Lord’s. I so easily mistake the very money as the blessing God has given,
while in fact, one of the greatest blessings of resources is the sanctifying
opportunity to emulate our Father and bestow His gifts upon His
creations. Is saving prudently wrong…I don’t believe so. But for
most of us, this is the wrong question. May we search our hearts to find
out how we view the gift of money that God has given us. Part of the gift
is the opportunity to give, yet we miss the true blessing, because we covet the
very package itself, and never open it to reveal the true treasure
inside. At times when my heart sees this clearly, I rarely ask how much I
should give, but rather how much can I give.
© 2005, Rusty Kelley.
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