Over the last few months we have been talking about the difference between God's economy and the world's economy. Yes, they are very different.
I think we came to the conclusion that the principles of God's economy are not what are being practiced in America today. So this would bring us to the next conclusion that the state of our economy today is a result of following the world's economy.
Let's try to get an idea of what it looks like to follow the world's economy.
During the last six years there have been over 7 million bankruptcy filings (www.abworld.org) in America. Another way to look at this is that this number represents one in 20 households. If you have more than 20 neighbors, this could mean that you or someone in your neighborhood has declared bankruptcy since 2004.
The Washington Post reported that 14% of homeowners are either delinquent on their mortgage or in foreclosure. This means if you have seven friends that own houses, there is a good chance that right now you or one of them is struggling to make a mortgage payment or about to lose their home.
CreditCards.com reports that 15% of adults or 34 million Americans have been late in making credit card payments. New York Times reported that over 20 billion dollars were collected in late fees on credit cards in 2009. The Nilson Report claims that the average family with credit cards has an unpaid balance of over $10,000 on their credit cards. This means that many of your friends (and possibly you) are struggling with credit card debt.
After reading these statistics (and many more that are available) it becomes pretty obvious that our society is in financial bondage. This financial bondage is a result of following the world's economy.
At this point we give a sigh and ask, but what about the church? Remember we as followers of Jesus Christ have God's Word which clearly (2,000 plus verses) outlines God's economy. Surely God's children are in a different situation and experiencing Financial Freedom and not financial bondage.
Unfortunately these statistics and trends extend into the church today. A few years ago the Barna organization (www.barna.org) did a study which said 33% of believers could not get ahead due to debt. As a result of talking to many Christians through the opportunity the Crown Financial Ministries has afforded me, I can verify that we as Christians are generally in no better shape financially than the unsaved world.
So what does all this mean? What does this mean to individual Christians and what does it mean to the church today that we are not following God's principles and stuck in the same financial bondage the world is? Does it mean anything? Or does it just mean that we are slaves to the paycheck, credit cards and the world's financial system just like everyone else?
I look forward to hearing your thoughts and discussing this over the next few weeks.
Monday, January 4, 2010
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3 comments:
yikes! - it's hard - our church has had to do a lot to try and help people who have lost jobs. actually, in 45 minutes we're doing a Bible study for guys who are out of work - we'll do a study and then go out and try and do odd jobs for some of our widows or shutins - could be cool.
Interesting thoughts, George. I would be interested in a more scientific study of the situation among professing Christians. Here is what I suspect - that those who believe in the inerrancy and authority of the Bible and follow it, and believe in the eternal security of the true believer, and believe in the sanctity of marriage and family, and believe in the authority of the local church, and so on, will actually have far less financial problems. This would have to be researched, but that is my guess. Are those who are in the categories you mentioned in your article genuine believers in Christ or just make-believers? I would have to see that research before I would conclude that being a Christian does not seem to make a difference, or that churches are not doing a good job. I would tend to suspect that those you (and Barna) reference do not have a genuine, saving understanding of the Gospel.
Yes, times are hard for everyone, as Samuel's comment shows. But true believers do not cop out on their responsibilities, even when they lose their jobs - as the guys in Samuel's Bible study seem to be proving. Great going guys!
Sam thanks for the comment.
The bad economy is providing opportunities for the local church. Last year I came across a church that hosted a Job Fair. The invited a Christian speaker to talk about creating a resume and how to apply for a job. They opened it to local businesses in the church and in the community.
It was a great opportunity to share the gospel in a little different setting.
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