Living by God’s Economic Plan (Part I)

Session 1: When a Nation Worships Money

Today we are starting a series that I am calling “Living by God’s Economic Plan (a Christian Response to the Global Economic “Crisis”)”. In the coming weeks we will discuss the foundational truths of the Economic Plan that God has established and documented in His instruction manual, the Bible. We will be looking at what we see out in the world, and comparing it to what we see in God’s Word, and then putting into action the steps that God gives us to establish a sound fiscal policy within our own lives.

For starters, I want to discuss the current situation that our world is in today. Looking at the state of the U.S. economy today, one can easily wonder: “what happened?” America was prosperous, the stock market was climbing, and people were filling their garages with new cars, their homes with new high definition televisions, and other new “toys” and luxuries. Then it seemed like overnight the bottom dropped out. How could this drastic change take place? Well, let’s take a look at one of God’s truths:

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Galatians 6:7-8)

So, we see that we simply reap what we sow – a simple law of cause and effect. What can we expect when a nation is focused on seeking, acquiring, consuming, and accumulating “stuff”? What happens when a nation worships money? Let’s try this scenario out for size:

• People, seeking ways to accumulate large amounts of money quickly, start using the stock market like a slot machine, seeking to hit it big on the new hot stock. Instead of “investing” in the stock market, diversifying and seeking long term growth, they start buying and selling stocks based on every tip, whim, or news event that comes along.


• Companies, seeking to please the fickle “investors”, need to turn a quick profit and start buying from the lowest cost suppliers (i.e., from overseas) without concern for what the impact might be on their nation as a whole. As a result, their manufacturing jobs have been sent to fuel another nation’s economy, at the expense of their own.


• The resulting short term profits please the “investors”, stock prices begin to rise, and people are encouraged to borrow money at low interest rates to invest in more stocks, since they are told that the stock market returns will more than make up for the rate of interest they need to pay.


• Companies now need new ways to please the fickle “investors” and start sending their engineering and technology based jobs overseas, again fueling those nations’ economy instead of their own.


• More and more people start finding themselves either out of work or taking lower paying jobs than they had, and start spending less money, making the economy “nervous”.


• Fortunately (or so it seems at the time), the nation’s government can step in and “encourage” banks and other financial institutions to make it easier for people to borrow more money, through higher interest credit cards and through borrowing more money on their homes than the people can afford to pay back.


• Banks profit from this for a while, as people are paying them interest on the loans and credit cards. But eventually reality sets in, and people without enough income start reaching the point that they can’t pay off their debt. And then what happens?


• Lawyers start encouraging people that are buried in debt to declare bankruptcy – after all, they deserve a new start, they were only victims of the big bad credit card companies and banks. After all, bankruptcy laws have made it legal for people not to pay for the things that they have acquired (a.k.a. stealing).


• Debt relief companies start encouraging people that are buried in debt to hire them to re-negotiate a lower settlement for them, because they “know the rules that the credit card companies don’t want you to know”. After all, you can often negotiate a lower payment to a company if you threaten to declare bankruptcy (a.k.a. extortion).


• Banks are then left with either no money in return for their loan, less money in return for their loan, or having to foreclose on mortgages on homes that people are unable to pay for. The result is a banking industry in distress, and unable to extend more credit, the same credit that was artificially fueling this nation’s economy in the first place.


• With no new credit, people have no choice but to stop buying, so the housing market is flooded with mortgaged homes that people can’t or won’t buy. The automobile market has more inventory than buyers, so their suppliers suddenly have no demand for their supplies. And all other industries take a hit, as people are forced to stop spending money.


• Companies that were able to use the tool of short term cost cutting to produce the profit that the fickle “investors” were seeking are now hit with a double whammy – they hit the limit of what costs they can cut, AND they no longer have buyers for their goods and services.


• And the stock market that was riding high during the boom that was artificially and temporarily fueled by the exporting of jobs and the infusion of borrowed money is going to have to take a nose dive as borrowed money can no longer support it.

Have I over simplified all of this? Probably. Do I have the benefit of 20/20 hindsight on this? Definitely. But I believe that it is easy to see that as this nation continues to worship money, this nation will continue to reap economic troubles. When people worship money, they seek self gratification, even at the expense of, or without any regard for, what the impact on their neighbors is. When a nation worships money, you have a nation out of control. Every man does what seems right in his own eyes.

This nation’s economy has been one fueled by covetousness – a lust to “get it all, and get it now” – borrow money now, get your stuff now, and don’t worry about the fact that you’ll end up paying for the stuff two or three time over as you make your interest payments. Do you know what covetousness really is? Let’s read what the Bible calls it:

When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience: (Colossians 3:4-6)

Covetousness, which is idolatry! Covetousness takes our eyes off of God. Covetousness results in us worshipping money, worshipping stuff, and sometimes even worshipping the jobs we have that produce the money and the things. What does that Bible tell us that the root of all evil is? The Bible starts its discussion on this as it discusses godliness - let’s read:

If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof comes envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:3-10)

So let’s summarize this as today’s Key Point Number 1: The LOVE of money is the root of ALL evil. Note that money in itself is neither good nor evil. It is simply a tool, available to be used in any manner. But when we let the love of money rule our lives, it is this covetousness that will produce all evil. Coveting after money, not money itself, will cause us to err from the faith, and produce many sorrows.

There is an answer for this nation, and that answer isn’t going to come from Congress. That answer isn’t going to come from the Supreme Court. And that answer isn’t going to come from the White House, or from some gathering of world economic leaders. After all, what solutions do you hear offered up in the news each day? “Let’s bail out the banking industry so that people can borrow more money again.” Let’s keep throwing money at the problem (money that we as a nation have to borrow), in hopes that it will get people spending again.

No, the real answer to this and every other situation that human beings will ever find themselves in has to come from the original source: the God who created us humans, the God who created this world in the first place. We are going to have to start living according to God’s Economic Plan, if we are going to have a healthy, prosperous nation. And where does this change need to start?

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Do you see this? We need to realize that if we want our land, our nation, to be healed, we as God’s people must turn from our wicked ways. The reason this nation has been able to get as far away from God’s Economic Plan as it has is because God’s people have not been living by it. So how will it turn around? Here’s today’s Key Point Number 2: Christians need to lead the change.

And this is the primary reason that we are embarking on this series on Living by God’s Economic Plan. Pointing out what God’s Economic Plan IS NOT is quite easy – all we need to do is watch or listen to the world’s media to see what isn’t working. Turning it around is going to be a bit more difficult. Why? Because it is going to require us to think and live in a way that goes counter to the natural way of thinking:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

The world’s ways and the world’s will are the things that we need to be transformed from. God’s good, and acceptable and perfect will is what we truly need. And God’s will is that we DO prosper, and the Bible is His primary tool for teaching this to us:

Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law does he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper. (Psalm 1:1-3)

Here is today’s Key Point Number 3: Our thoughts need to be God’s thoughts. And God’s thoughts are for our prosperity!

Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. (Isaiah 55:6-13)

Today’s lesson has been simply an introduction. In the coming weeks we will look at specific aspects and instructions from God’s Word that we all can apply to our lives as we endeavor to live by God’s economic plan. So, let’s spend this coming week renewing our mind, and searching our hearts to see who we are worshipping – are we seeking money, or are we seeking God? Are we making decisions based on human, natural logic, or are we making them based on God’s truths? Realize that the first step in Living by God’s Economic Plan it that you will have to accept and live the plan!

Join us next week as we take the next step: “In God We Trust (or Do We?)”.

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