Am I in Financial Bondage?

Over the last few posts we have talked about God's Economy and the World's economy. We have discussed this question: do we believers really understand and apply God's economy in our lives. Although a few Christians do, I do not believe that most Christians fully understand and apply God's principles for handling money in our daily walk.

I believe the Bible gives us certain symptoms that allow us to do some healthy self evaluation to see if we are living by world's economy or God's economy. I would like to take the next few posts to talk about some of these symptoms. I would also like to hear your thoughts on symptoms from God's Word that helps us evaluate if we are living by God's economy or the world's economy.

Crown calls the result of living by the world's economy financial bondage. On the other hand, living by God's economy leads to true financial freedom. So what are some of the symptoms that might indicate which economy we are living by and which path we are on?

First, I would like to suggest that a get rich quick attitude is a symptom of the world's economy and financial bondage. Proverbs 28:22 says "A man with an evil eye hastens after wealth and does not know that want will come upon him". Proverbs 23:4,5 says "Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, cease from you consideration of it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings…" Don't both of these verses sound like a caution against a "Get-Rich-Quick" attitude?

Did you ever wonder why lotteries and casinos are so popular now? Do you ever wonder why there are so many poker tournaments on TV and the Internet? These all are the result of feeding on our sin nature's Get Rich Quick attitude.

What is sad is that I believe many times churches are fertile ground for these Get Rich Quick schemes. In my life I have been exposed to two situations where someone has presented a Get Rich Quick program in a Bible teaching church and many in the congregation have fallen for it. In both cases it divided the church and people ended up leaving the church over it. I have also talked to many individuals and couples that have fallen for a pyramid marketing plan with the idea that they would make tons of money in a very short period of time.

The Bible says in Proverbs 21:5 "The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty" I believe that a Get Rich Quick attitude is a symptom that we are following the world's economy and not God's economy.

I welcome your thoughts of other symptoms of financial bondage and living by the world's economy that we see in the world and even in the church today.