Archives For Corey

The Purpose of My Articles about Tithing

Corey —  June 19, 2012

       Today, a reader named Melissa shared this comment on my summary of tithing in the Bible. (I’ve edited it a little for clarity, but I did not make any drastic changes.)

       “I have been a faithful ‘tither’ for years, raised by parents who were faithful tithers. And there has been something about ‘tithing’ that has always had this ‘check’ within me, even when I was adamant about ‘wanting to tithe’ and knowing ‘God’s promises’ about tithing. I began researching about tithing to basically find out where the 10% of all my gross income should be going. Let me tell you it has led down a completely different path!!!! It has led me closer and closer to who Jesus is: GRACE. Jesus IS grace personified. Grace presented giving over and over and over!!!!! I WAS a cheerful and faithful tither…now I will allow grace to lead me to be a cheerful and faithful giver!!!! I appreciate the revelation that the Holy Spirit has given you and others about giving from the heart and not tithing from a pocketbook. God is NOT about numbers!!!”

– Melissa

       In my response, I thanked Melissa for her comment because it’s exactly for people like her that I wrote those articles on tithing. You see, some people accuse me of being greedy, stingy, or just trying to make excuses not to give because of what I’ve written about tithing. Because I don’t teach tithing, they assume that I don’t want to give – or that if I do then I don’t want to do it generously.

       Nothing could be further from the truth! If anyone spends just a little bit more time reading what I’ve written about New Covenant giving and generosity, they’ll see that I am actually trying to teach us to be even more generous than what those who teach tithing demand.

       The difference is that I’m trying to point us to the ultimate example of giving: Jesus Christ. He is the full revelation of God’s will for us in all things, including giving. And while looking at Him and trying to follow Him, no one will be making excuses not to give. You can’t help but want to give to those in need in response to His grace, mercy, and generosity.

       We don’t need demands and obligations and curses to urge us to give if we will only look to Jesus and follow His example. Those who follow Jesus and abide in Him will have such overflowing love for God and others that you won’t be able to hold back their generosity. You don’t need to tell them to give 10% or be cursed and you don’t need to promise them riches and blessings to get them to give. They want to give because they have God’s love living in them!

       This is the real purpose of my articles about tithing. It’s not to excuse us from giving. It’s not to find a way to give less. And it’s not to destroy churches and make them go bankrupt (yes, I’ve been accused of that). The real purpose of these articles is to open our eyes to the truth about giving. And that truth is found only in Jesus Christ – not in the Law.

       I want people to see that tithing as it is taught today is far from Biblically accurate. I want them to understand the grace we have received from and in Jesus. I want them to experience both the freedom and the joy that comes from giving with a pure heart motivated by love for God and love for others. I want them to get past this letter of the Law stuff and focus on the Spirit. It’s about a transformation of going from “What’s the least I must do to fulfill my obligation to God?” to “How can I more fully express my love for God and for people? How can I please and serve God completely?”. I want us to let go of the shadow and take hold of the the One who came. I want us to let Jesus be our example for giving and fully follow in His steps.

       I pray that all who read what I’ve written about tithing will realize that it’s not just about arguing over words and trying to make excuses or justify ourselves. My goal is not to cause more division, strife, or arguing, but to open our eyes to the truth in Scripture and gain a fuller understanding of what Christ did for us, what He wants us to do, and how we can start living that out. I will try my best to be clear about those things, but it doesn’t always come through.

       So just know that when you read something I’ve written about tithing it’s not so we can keep more for ourselves. It’s so we can let go of the shadow, cling to Jesus, and be free to experience the relentless, irrational generosity that God has for us and to begin sharing that with others.

In Giving , , ,
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Why is Contentment So Important?

Corey —  June 11, 2012

Out of all of the financial themes from the bible, contentment keeps coming up. In case you haven’t checked out the list of bible verses about money, there is a wide list of bible verses that have to do with contentment. Contentment means the act of being satisfied with what you already have. In some ways, it is the exact opposite of greed.

If you look at the list of bible verses more closely, you will see that the theme of contentment comes up over and over.

  • Psalm 37:16 – Better is a little that the righteous has, than the abundance of many wicked.
  • Proverbs 15:16 – Better is little, with the fear of Yahweh, than great treasure with trouble.
  • Proverbs 30:8-9 – Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me; 9 lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

These are just a few of the many verses on contentment. The message seems to be clear: Value what you have. Don’t live your life in search of possessions. Search for meaning in people and God. And so on…

This sounds great, but can it be that simple? If this is God’s message to us, why is it so important. Why does it keep coming up, over and over.

Conservation of Resources

One of the first things that comes to mind is the conservation of resources. It’s no secret that the act of being green and frugal often overlap. When you are content with what you have, you are not driven to consume. Consumerism is rampant in the U.S. We strive to get more stuff, drive faster, get the latest and fanciest pieces of technology, and the list goes on. Unfortunately this means that we are using more of our natural resources and contributing to global warming. I’m aware that there is some disagreement over the issue of global warming – primarily if we are the cause (because it does exist), but irregardless, there is still an important biblical theme of stewardship. God asked us to be good stewards of his creation, and this is particularly relevant to issue of environmentalism.

Is it possible that God was/is warning us against our own self-destruction?

Are We Consuming or Being Consumed?

I remember when my wife and I started to have a little extra cash for the first time in our adult lives. Being a product of our culture, we asked what we could do with it. Questions about what we should buy (if anything) or where to go, were the popular topic. For anyone who has given into this, even in small bits, I am sure that you recognize (at least on some level) that stuff won’t make you happy. It may improve your life in some ways (and can therefore be “okay” with the right motivation), but it should never be the end result.

I often wonder if consumerism is about us buying and/or consuming resources or about us being consumed by our greed and want for stuff – because that is how it feels sometimes. If we are honest with ourselves, I think we will find ourselves looking for happiness in the stuff we buy. Is it possible that the impulse to buy and/or consume is doing more harm than good? (in more than one way)

I believe it is in a combination of these two reasons that contentment becomes so important. It is with contentment that we are reminded of what is important in life: friends, family, life, God, etc. All the other things have very little meaning.

Why do you think contentment is so important?

 

In Miscellaneous
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Are You Tied to Your Possessions? Is that okay?

Corey —  June 4, 2012

My friend who just finished seminary accepted a pastoral position at a church in Hawaii. (Talk about suffering for Jesus, right?) In moving there, the church will be paying to ship his truck there, so that he has a car while on the island. As any typical graduate student does throughout the course of their studies, he collected lots of stuff – mostly books, but also furniture, clothes, etc. While shipping his truck to Hawaii may sound like an easy way to take most of his possessions with him, it’s actually quite the opposite. He is only allowed to keep items in the truck that are bolted down. That means even his face plate for his after-market CD player has to come out.

Ultimately this means that he is getting rid of stuff. He just recently told me how he got rid of 3 boxes worth of books, in addition to lots of other clothes, etc. I started to think about how much stuff my wife and I have collected in the 3 years that we have been married. While we live in a 1 bedroom apartment, I can hardly believe how much stuff we have. How did this happen?!

Are Material Possessions Bad?

We often hear about consumerism or worldly possessions and how bad it is for us. I believe much of this conversation stems from a very basic truth:

You can’t take it with you!

This is the idea that when you die, all the stuff that you have collected over your life means absolutely nothing. Yes, that’s right, those baseball cards, your lucky underwear, your stainless steel appliances – it doesn’t mean anything when you pass.

Yet, this basic truth is often exaggerated…

Worldly possessions are bad. They are evil. Material possessions are false idols.

Or, my personal favorite:

Material possessions hurt your relationship with God.

Since when is a relationship with God and having stuff mutually exclusive? I guess I should be clear. I’m not talking about the level of the “Hoarders” T.V. show(s). I suspect that we all know that hoarding is a serious social illness of some sort (or at least that’s my suspicion without watching the show much). Instead, I am talking about the average person. Isn’t it possible that possessions are not all bad? Or even better, couldn’t it help us in our relationship with God?

Why Possessions Can Help our Faith

I ask this question of whether the stuff in our lives can be a good thing because of two reasons. I often like to tackle the common assumptions of the Christian faith, especially as it relates to finances. This is one of the reasons that I look at tithing differently than other Christian finances authors. The second reason that I ask this question is because of a significant change recently.

My wife and I recently invested in a portable dishwasher. There, I said it! Well, that may not sound like much, but if you know me, it is huge! I absolutely hate doing dishes. Because we are renting, our unit does not have a dishwasher. In our 3 years of married life, we have never had one. This means that we spend, at minimum 3 hours a week doing dishes. My wife’s in-laws were coming into town and I had two days of dishes piled up (prior to getting our dishwasher). I had to do all the dishes at once and it took me 2 hours! Wowzer!

As a result of buying our new dishwasher, things have drastically improved. It literally takes minutes instead of hours each week. I told my wife that it was the best investment ever! That’s how much our dishwasher means to us.

Does this mean that I am too reliant on this material item? Am I ruining my relationship with God because I enjoy the luxury of some of my STUFF?

I think it would be hard to find someone that would answer, “yes” to these questions. I think it is especially relevant when you consider the time saved. I have more time to spend on whatever I choose. Whether this is volunteering, praying, reading, etc. I believe this is a great example that material stuff cannot be equated with evilness. Stuff is not inherently bad.

A Proper Balance

I believe understanding that our possessions are not bad in and of themselves, but instead how we use them is very important. Understanding that we can utilize our STUFF to be a greater service to our community is an important thing. Yet, it doesn’t mean you should buy as many items as possible to free up more free time. There needs to be some balance.

There needs to be a balance between spending without concern for others and avoiding items all-together because of the belief that they are inherently bad. I can’t say where people should draw the line, but I believe it should be somewhere in the middle. One needs to consider the motives for buying stuff before anything.

Are you buying that because it will make you feel good? Do you absolutely NEED to have it? Why are you buying it?

These are all important questions to answer when thinking about how much stuff you have. When you consider that in addition to the great need in this world, you are on the right track.

Readers, where do you think is the balance? Should people sell all their possessions? 

In Frugality, Stewardship , ,
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Should You Pray for Good Fortune? to Win the Lottery?

Corey —  May 28, 2012

I am sure you have heard it before. “Pray for me…” or “I pray that…” The uses of the word pray in the English language (and all languages actually) vary differently. This could communicate a genuine commitment to get on one’s knees and ask God for X, Y, or Z. Or, it could also be a comment to show support. “I’ll pray for you,” when in reality, we know that we won’t. The different uses in language have shaped how we understand prayer over the years. Many people use it not knowing any significance other than that it’s what believers do. It’s a thing on the Christian checklist, so I better use it enough times around my church friends.

Amid all of these varying uses, I can’t help but wonder what we should really be praying about. In connection with that thought, there has been a recent buzz over the lottery. In the tri-state area, the lottery was up at what was probably record highs, somewhere around 650 million dollars. I don’t follow the lottery numbers that closely, but usually something over 200 million sparks a lot of interest. Imagine what 650 million dollars did to ignite interest. As many of my colleagues were buying tickets, I occasionally heard the phrase, “Oh, I am praying that I win.” Should we pray to win the lottery?

What Should We Pray For? Why Do We Pray?

Betty: Betty is a single mother, who despite her faithfulness to the church, has been through a whirlwind of emotions. She finally got a divorce from her abusive husband and is desperate to pay for her only child’s upbringing. She doesn’t have the best job ever, but she gets by with what she has. Before she goes to bed, Betty always prays, asking God to help provide her a better job. Her son doesn’t have the nicest clothes and would like to be able to afford something nice for him.

Suzanne: Suzanne hasn’t had the troubles that Betty has had to face. She grew up in a middle-class family, graduated from an ivy-league school and gave up her law practice to be a stay at home mother. Her husband makes more than enough to provide for the family, along with a few luxury items like vacation cottage on a lake with Jet Skis. Suzanne and her family are also religious. They attend church every week, but Suzanne can’t help but wonder how nice it would be to have more security. She prays for a promotion for her husband so they can rest easily.

Is there any major difference between the two examples above? While you may be more understanding towards Betty because she has had a more “difficult” life, there isn’t much difference between the two. What is it that makes us think Betty’s prayers are better? Does Suzanne’s prayers sound more like greed? In fact, both women understand God in the same light. God, according to how they are praying, is someone to come swoop in and take away all of their troubles. In this situation, it’s by bringing more money into the situation.

I’m sure you are thinking the same thing as me. This isn’t the worst. In fact, we often hear (or pray ourselves) people praying, asking God to do something. In order to convince God, we need to offer something. “God, if you do this, I will do that.” or “God, I’ve only asked for a few things, so please do this…” News flash people: If you are praying like this, you worship a Genie, not God.

God isn’t someone to convince or beg for something to occur. That doesn’t mean that prayer isn’t important. It’s just for much more than receiving things. It’s much more than a Christmas list from Santa Claus. In fact, prayer seems to be more about communicating and aligning ourselves with God, than the alternative.

Should We Ask to Win the Lottery?

Beyond misunderstanding the reason for praying, praying to win the lottery involves so much more. It means that you buy into the belief that your life will be better if you have a lot more money right away. This is far from the truth. Financial Samurai recently wrote that getting money too fast will destroy you. In part of the article, Sam writes about how people blow their money away if you get it too quickly. In other words, you don’t appreciate what you have and waste it away.

Praying to win the lottery could be asking for ‘a poke in the eye with a sharp stick’ (to use a phrase that my mother-in-law frequently uses). You could be asking for something that could actually ruin you more than help you. It’s again, part of the misguided belief that money will solve all of your problems. Will you really be disciplined to manage your money well if you were to come across several millions if not hundreds of millions of dollars in a matter of a day? Will you continue to tell yourself that you aren’t rich, even with your newly-acquired wealth?

Instead of praying for some distant jackpot or lottery, it would be much better to do something about your finances. God never even hints that we should be anything from active in everything that we do. We need to be active. To put it bluntly, stop praying for miracles and start doing something that will change your situation for the better. You may not be able to change everything (alone), but it is much better than the alternative of praying to win the lottery.

Do you find yourself wishing you had more money? 

Why do you think we should pray?

In Prayer , ,
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Insurance: Pros and Cons

Corey —  May 23, 2012

In all walks of life, it pays to be safe. Doing your best to ensure that you don’t succumb to any illness, injury or any other form of harm is important, but if something bad were to happen to you, someone you love or a treasured possession, what do you do? Many people take out insurance policies to protect themselves financially against such a thing happening. However, for all that’s good about having insurance, there are a few flaws. Here are some of the pros and cons of insurance:

Pros:

  • Insurance can cover you for all sorts of things. You can get covered in the event of a car crash, against burglary, illness, the contents of your home being damaged or even if your pets become sick.
  • Some forms of insurance can be very cheap. For example, some insurers offer contents insurance worth up to £5,000 for less than £10 per month.
  • Being insured helps to reassure you that, if something bad were to happen, you’re going to get some sort of coverage, whether it’s in cash form or a replacement for the car or electrical item which has become damaged.

Cons:

  • Some insurance policies such as car insurance can run into thousands each year. This often makes motoring expensive for people who need to own a car for getting to work, doing the weekly shop and getting around.
  • Insurance payouts can sometimes be insufficient, especially when for something like an injury. This is where specialist law firms such as first4lawyers come in, as they sometimes win a lot of compensation for clients who make claims.
  • Sometimes it’s better not to have insurance, especially if it’s too expensive. Some policies don’t offer value for money, while insurers occasionally make it too complicated for customers to get the policy that’s right for them.
In Miscellaneous
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Should Christians Celebrate Memorial Day?

Corey —  May 21, 2012

During the month of May, most Americans receive the day off of work in light of Memorial Day. While most may only look at memorial day as a time away from the 9-to-5, it is much more than that. Indeed, it often marks the shift in seasons from Spring to Summer, but again, it is much more than this. In fact, memorial day is a day to remember all of those who have died, serving in the Armed Forces.

Christianity’s history has long had a non-violent voice to it. Martin Luther King Jr., who was the face of the civil rights movement is perhaps the most prominent U.S. Christian known for his commitment to non-violent actions. Yet, it is not merely a recent theme or belief. It dates back to Jesus. In fact, many Christians and people today expose non-violent tactics as a result of Jesus’ teachings and actions. In light of memorial day coming up, it leaves Christians with a difficult question.

Should Christians celebrate memorial day? Does honoring this holiday go against any Christian Beliefs?

This is the very question I hope to discuss. Be sure to share you opinion in the comments after reading!

Christian Origins of Non-Violence

Christianity has long agreed with the idea of non-violence, with some disagreement. Like any other belief in Christianity, there is a wide spectrum of beliefs within this one religion. Thus, while I hope to uncover the origins of non-violence within Christianity, it should be understood that many Christians interpret this in different ways. With that aside, one could trace the roots of non-violence back to Jesus.

There are several places in the gospels that people refer to, when talking of Jesus’ commitment to non-violence. Of the many, I will share two:

The first is in the garden of Gethsemane, right before Jesus is arrested. Matthew 26:47-55 reads (emphasis added),

47 While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” 49 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.

50 Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”[d]

Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. 51 With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

52 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

55 In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. 56 But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Instead of having his disciples fight for him, Jesus told them to put their swords away. The phrase, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword,” has been repeated over and over, even to this day, as sound wisdom. It’s basic argument is that violence escalates violence.

The second example is in both the gospel of Matthew and Luke. In order to keep the same source, I will quote from Matthew 5:38-42:

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’[h] 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

While many people misinterpret this verse to suggest that believers need to accept abuse, it is not intended like that at all. In fact, turning the other cheek was an act of non-violently putting an end to the abuse, while exposing the injustice. As a result, Jesus is empowering his followers to expose and put an end to the injustice through non-violent means.

Should a Commitment to Non-Violence Keep Christians from Celebrating Memorial Day?

If this is the commitment of some Christians, I can’t help but ask whether this should keep them from celebrating memorial day. Some might suggest that in celebrating memorial day and those who have fought in past wars, we thereby support violence. Yet, I am not sure it can be that simple.

Is honoring those who fought in wars supporting violence? 

Suggesting that Christians ignore Memorial Day reminds me of veterans returning from the Vietnam war to protests and hatred for what they did. While this was a result of the commitment to peace and the hippie movement, the truth is that many Americans were forced to serve in that war against their will. They didn’t want to be fighting in that war any more than those protesting the war did.

While it can be helpful to remind ourselves of Jesus’ commitment to non-violence, we should be careful not to isolate ourselves from those who have fought in wars. The world is a complicated place and to simplify things such as an either-or could do more harm than good.

In Miscellaneous , , , ,
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Would Jesus Support the Buffet Tax Law?

Corey —  May 14, 2012

A few weeks ago, the Senate rejected a new tax initiative to tax the wealthy of the United States. The senate’s rejection on what is being called the Warren Buffet Tax law is stirring up some debate about tax initiatives. The law was inspired by Warren Buffet’s declaration that wealthy individuals are paying lower effective tax rates than the middle and lower classes. With a tax structure that is already designed to tax the wealthy at higher rates, many individuals are asking whether it is fair or right to tax the wealthy more.

Influence of Politics

If not already obvious, one’s perspective on this tax law (or any tax law in general) is largely shaped by one’s political stance. There are many reasons why it is opposed. Many individuals believe that taxing the wealthy more would reverse this sense of capitalism which fuels our economy. In other words, it would encourage them not to earn more money and therefore stimulate the economy. Perhaps even more convincing, many suggest that taxing the wealthy would limit their ability to provide more jobs and/or business for the economy. If the government took more money, they would cause greater expense to them and limit the money they are able to invest in growing sustainable commerce.

On the other perspective of things, it is the wealthy who live comfortably. Despite the recent economic recession, the wealthy were not burdened with the worry about making ends meet as much as the middle and lower class. In the same way that the Widow’s offering. Where, as we learn in the bible, she gave out of her poverty. While the importance of that story is to emphasize that it’s the sacrifice that matters, it also reminds us that it is much more difficult for those with less money to give. Those in favor of the tax bill are also fueled by the fact that Mitt Romney had an effective tax rate of 13.9% on his some 20+ million dollar income in 2010.

Would Jesus Support Higher Taxes on the Wealthy?

In light of the recent debate, I felt it would be interesting to investigate Jesus’ response to the situation. What would Jesus do? I am sure many of you recall the popular WWJD bracelets from the 90’s. They were a popular fad. Many of my friends in high school had them and wore them proudly. Despite the good intentions behind this product, these became more about proclaiming one’s identity as a Christian than asking a genuine question to follow in Jesus’ footsteps.

While I don’t want to carry over the negative connotations with these bracelets that many people have in their minds, I do want to ask the question of what Jesus’ response would be – as this will help inform what a Christian response might be. Despite my initial assumption, I have actually come to understand that it isn’t as clear as we would like. Life is never that simple, is it?

Paying the Tax to Caesar

One of the first passages that came to mind when preparing this post was Matthew 22:15-22 – the challenge to Jesus about paying taxes. It reads:

15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax[a] to Caesar or not?”

18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.

   Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

 22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

The first thing to point out about this passage is that the people posing this question, according to Matthew, were trying to trick Jesus. They wanted to limit him to a simple “yes,” or “no,” as they often do in the gospels. Jesus saw through their scheme and does something quite remarkable.  Here’s a brief video by Shaine Claiborne, explaining his understanding of this passage.

In other words, Jesus’s response is not trying to place emphasis on making sure to pay your taxes. Instead, he is dismissing their simplistic question by saying taxes don’t matter. In other words, he finds a nice balance between the two extreme positions.

While it may be a healthy question to ask whether Jesus would support this law, we shouldn’t limit Jesus into picking one of two extreme positions. Doing so would greatly limit Jesus’ radical beliefs and actions. Jesus’ primary concern seems to present a way of live that is full of love and lacking mistreatment, injustice, etc. I would suggest that both positions are flawed and we have to use our best judgment to decide between the two options. This is another reason why financial rules of thumb are inadequate.

Do YOU think Jesus would support increasing taxes on the wealthy?

In Taxes , ,
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