How will I pay my bills? What if I lose my job? Do I have enough to live on in retirement? If my stocks lose value, will I still have enough income? How will I pay for assisted living when I need it?
When we are frightened about money, when we are embarrassed we don’t have enough, when we are anxious about money, we get tempted to hide from our fear, our embarrassment, our worry by getting away from places we might hear about it.
Money worries can separate us from people and from God.
Are people hiding from the church because they don’t want to be asked for money? Are people hiding from the federal government because they haven’t paid taxes? Are people not answering the phone because they don’t want to talk to bill collectors? Are people staying away from clubs because they don’t want to hear money requests? Are people keeping their children from school, church and community activities because they don’t have the money their children want? Are people embarrassed or ashamed or anxious about their money?
Yes
For those of us who are, when the subject comes up, it hurts.
A line in one of my favorite songs says “Money doesn’t talk, it swears.” (Bob Dylan in “It’s Alright Ma”)
So, most of the time, we don’t talk about it. Money is the opposite of the weather. Nobody talks about it, but everybody does something about it. (Rebecca Johnson)
Why don’t we talk about it? Some of us are not winning the American Dream. We aren’t as well off as we expected to be, and we feel shame. Some of us don’t want to bother our families with our worries. So what’s wrong with just keeping quiet?
Because we are disciples of Jesus Christ. And he talked about it.
But God tells us “not to let your heart be troubled, not to let it be afraid.” John 14: 27
God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Tim 1:7
Jim Hein reminded us in the sermon two weeks ago of the words of Jesus: Consider the lilies of the field, how they neither toil nor spin. But the Lord has arrayed them in beauty.
God frees us from money anxiety by giving us permission not to give. So many people want my money. Should I feel guilty I can’t give to them all? Of course not. Neither God nor anyone expects you to give to all the causes. Some are touched by one disease, some another. Some are concerned about one church ministry, some another. Some care about getting an elevator, some don’t. Some want to bless the children, some want their money to go to ministry for Senior Citizens. Some want to spread the gospel, some want to fight injustice.
One way God frees us from money guilt is proportional giving. We give a portion of our money to God’s work, and when it is given, we stop. We don’t give any more to all the other causes in God’s work.
Another way God frees us from money worries is to remind us that we are loved and valuable and important whether we have money or not. I am no less loved and valuable and important now that I can give less than in the past when I could give more. I am God’s child, not because of how much I have, but because God decided I am.
God frees us from money worries by reminding us why we are together with others who care about the same things. Separation is a temptation for those of us who don’t like the way our club or church or school spends money. I can quit. Why don’t I? Because the cause we are committed to at the club, at the church, at the school is more important than my disagreement with others there. Why do I volunteer to help with school activities when I see the school wasting money? Because I want the students to learn self confidence and self respect as well as the facts they need to live.
Why should I participate in the church when I disagree with the elevator project?
Why? Because the elevator project has little to do with why I am in church. I am in church because I want to keep up my connection with Christ. I am in church because I want Christ’s love to spread. I want it to spread through Sunday School and small groups and worship services and missionaries. I love righteousness and I want to help it spread. That’s why I go to church, not because I agree with, or give to, all the causes.
I participate in my country’s government even when I don’t agree with some of the things that government does. I pay my taxes, even though I don’t agree with some of the ways the money is spent. I can’t pay as much as some others can pay. So should I quit? Why do I stay in the country? Because of the reason I am an American. I want to see my country prosper and be a light to the nations. I want it to bring justice and peace to me and mine, to the rest of us Americans, and to the world. So I pay my taxes.
Jesus tells us not to worry in Matthew 6: 25-34
We sing the Psalm “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it”. 118:24
Not “the good old days” or the “someday when my ship comes in, when my finances are more stable, but “this day”. God has ways of freeing us from the worries over money.
Jesus’ words in Matthew about the birds and the flowers of the field have a message for us: Our business is taking care of today. God’s business is taking care of tomorrow.
One money worry is about paying for our elevator/entry project. Not all of us will give. Please don’t substitute giving to the elevator for giving to the ministry of the church. Give to the elevator only if you can give something extra.
But not everyone will give. All of us, whether we can give or not, are an important part of this church. You are just as much part of this church whether you give or not.
Paul writes to the givers in Corinth. Sometimes they could give, sometimes not. Not all could give, but all were necessary.