If someone struck up a conversation with you and they kept mentioning the same basic thing over and over to you, what would you assume? You might assume that the person doesn’t have anything else to talk about. You might assume that the person is overly concerned or perhaps anxious about something. You might assume that the person has lost her short term memory and that she's not even aware that she keeps repeating herself. She's not even aware that she keeps repeating herself.
You might assume that the person is married and she is speaking to her husband. "Jon, tonight is trash night, so don’t forget to take out the trash. Jon, I’m going to bed now, don’t forget to take out the trash. Jon, I hear the garbage truck outside." You might assume that the person is talking to her son-in-law. "Jon, would you be willing to cut the dog's hair this weekend? Jon, did you remember that we wanted the dogs' hair cut today? Okay, dog-hair-cutting-boy, we’ll be back a little bit later after we go to the mall. I hope the dogs will behave during their hair-cuts."
Most often a person will repeat what he is saying if he doesn't think you are listening or if you don’t appear to understand. And this is most often the case. The other party is looking for you to make a change. But you haven't shown a response. There is no response, nothing!
James devotes a large portion of his letter to the topic of material wealth.
I first noticed this a few months ago. There are one hundred eight verses in the entire book of James. Twenty-eight of these verses, a full twenty-six percent, or one out of four, relate to material wealth! What are we to make of this fact? Why does James keep returning to this theme over and over and over again? Was the church having a budget crisis? Was the church in the middle of a building program? Did the church want to hire more employees?
It isn’t just the apostle James who devotes a lot of time to this topic. There are two thousand three hundred fifty verses in the Bible instructing us in how to manage our material wealth. You may be surprised to know that love is the only topic the Bible explores more in depth than material wealth. A full two thirds of Jesus’ parables in the Bible somehow relate to money management.
Was Jesus obsessed with material wealth? Was he greedy? Was his primary concern in funding his kingdom, filling the coffers, building buildings, and balancing budgets? Or is it possible that possessing material wealth poses one of the gravest threats to our faith in God, to our love for others, and to our singular focus on serving God’s kingdom?
Possessing material wealth can threaten our focus on God's kingdom.
We humans are very materialistic. We love what we can see, touch, and possess. As I was driving back from Chicago this week I noticed two things. First, there are tens of thousands of homes being built in the suburbs. They’re going up everywhere. Entire subdivisions spring up overnight with large, beautiful, spacious homes being built. Second, these enormous warehouse complexes keep popping up. They’re huge and they eclipse the size of any building you’ll see anywhere in central Illinois! And boy, are they busy! Hundreds of semi trailers are coming and going during all hours of the night.
One shopping cart at a time, those homes are being filled with food, clothing, furniture, electronics, knick-knacks, toys, appliances, tools, and gadgets. It is certainly good for the economy when we buy homes and buy things. Yet we're foolish if somehow we think we're not affected by it all. We are deeply affected. Our hearts become divided, our minds become distracted, and our bodies become worn out from taking care of all of our stuff. In a material world, matter is all that matters. Not God, not people, and not service. Nothing matters more than stuff. Let’s consider some evidence of how we are being affected by the materialism of our age.
Evidence number one: Defining our worth by our wallet.
In a material world we tend to worship and serve created things, rather than worshiping our creator who is forever praised. Our sense of meaning becomes rooted in our relationship to things and not in our relationship to God. In a material world our purpose becomes materialistic. "I live to shop. I consume." In a material world our very identity becomes materialistic. "I am a consumer. I own." In a material world our worth is rooted in where we live, how much money we make, what kind of home we have, the kind of car we drive, the name brand clothing we wear, and the various things we possess. We make life decisions and we purchase things, not for their practical value, but for the statement those things make about our worth. Take those things away and we suddenly find ourselves robbed of meaning, identity, and purpose.
In the early Church a person's self-worth was rooted in his net-worth. The person of humble means was taught to look down upon himself. The person of affluence was taught to carry himself with pride. The very same thing happens today. But James makes an interesting point. None of the things with which we define our identity and worth today will even matter tomorrow.
James 1:9-11 (NIV) says, "The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business."
Evidence number two: Defining other people’s worth by their wallets.
Materialism doesn’t just affect how we view ourselves. Materialism fundamentally changes the way we approach and value other people. Materialistic people are drawn to people of material means. "What do you do for a living? Oh, you’re a doctor, you’re a CEO, you’re a business owner. You can help me get ahead!" Or, "Oh, you're a clerk, a blue collar worker, a day laborer." Who do you find yourself drawn to? Who do you avoid? On what basis do you discriminate against others? Do you value every person equally as a child of God?
James 2:1-4 (NIV) says, "My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, 'Here’s a good seat for you,' but say to the poor man, 'You stand there' or 'Sit on the floor by my feet,' have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?"
Evidence number three: Selling out our souls to a select few and incurring debt.
A key evidence of a materialistic mindset is our compulsion to possess at every cost. "Buy now, pay later! One year no interest!" The average credit card debt continues to skyrocket. Savings continue to plummet. What is happening to us?
What is happening is that our compulsion to possess is so great that we’ll do anything. If we could pay for it, we would own it. But instead the bank owns it or the creditor owns it. And not only does the creditor own our things, but they own us and our livelihood. Proverbs 22:26-27 (NIV) frames the problem well. "Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you."
James warns us that the rich exploit the poor. Not only do they take all that we owe with interest, but at the first sign of trouble they gladly take us to court. And all the while they slander the name of our holy God. James 2:5-7 (NIV) says, "Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?"
Why would you mortgage your entire future in debt to a ruthless creditor? Why would we subject the name of Christ to insult because ofour inability to pay all that we owe? If your finances are spiraling out of control, the problem isn’t how much money you make or don’t make. The problem is your mindset. It's a failure to see the riches that God has already given you in faith. It's a failure to appreciate the kingdom he promises to those who love him.
Evidence number four: Stopping short of complete faith.
A key evidence of a materialistic mindset is a faith that cannot respond to the needs of others. When was the last time you learned about a need, but could not respond because your mortgage payment was so high, because you two car payments, or because the Discover bill was coming due at the end of the week? Such faith is full of good intentions. It wants to help, but it lacks the means to do so. Why does this faith fail? Because it is too focused on getting ahead. Because it cannot let go. Because all its resources are obligated to creditors.
James 2:14-17 (NIV) says, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
Evidencenumber five: Spending on the material, our pleasures, instead of on the eternal.
After I finished the outline I thought this point may have needed to be worded differently. James sees materialism as a key ingredient to relational breakdown. Take marriage, for instance. I cannot tell you how many couples get divorced over financial matters. I cannot tell you how many families get torn apart by fighting over an estate. How many relationships in your family are in turmoil because of financial matters? James observes how we spend all that we have on pleasures. We recklessly try to fill the void inside with things instead of turning to God in prayer where we’d find true joy, true inner contentment, and lasting happiness.
James 4:1-3 (NIV) says, "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."
Evidence number six: Carrying out our business at the expense of God’s business.
Do you find yourself stressed out all the time? Materialism demands a total commitment of heart, mind, body, and soul. The materialistic person is busy keeping up with the demands of his stuff. The materialistic person has very little time to serve God wholeheartedly. He is drowning in his work, drowning in bills, and drowning in the upkeep of his lifestyle. Hedoesn’t have time to serve others, volunteer at church, or even attend church. The materialistic person has very little time to think about God. He never pauses to consider what God’s will truly is. He is always on the road, traveling about, going here, going there, building his business, pursuing his career, and plotting how to make his first million. He's "in the zone!"
James 4:13-17 (NIV) says, "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins."
Evidence number seven: Forgetting the principle, you reap what you sow.
Toward the end of his book, James describes how the materialistic mindset comes full circle. What happens after we have squeezed God out of our lives for so long? What happens after we have showed so little regard for the will of God? What happens after we have taken advantage of others in order to get ahead?
James 5:1-6 (NIV) says, "Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you."
James: Just live it!
The outline in your bulletin is designed for you to easily re-read these passages alone, with your spouse, with your children, or even in your Life Groups. In light of these verses how might you redefine your own self-worth? Is there a purpose for your life that transcends the material? How might you redefine the worth other people have according toyour eyes? Do people have worth apart from their circumstances, their wealth, or their possessions? Can you serve those who have absolutely nothing to give back in return?
And what about your debts and financial obligations? Is God being dishonored because of your inability to pay your bills and creditors? Or are you above reproach in this important area? Are you developing discipline in your spending? Do you have a plan to become debt free?
When it comes to faith, God wants us to have more than good intentions. Are you in a place where you can financially respond to the needs of others? Big changes don’t come overnight. What everyday opportunities can you take advantage of to show the generosity of God to those around you?
Do you spend all that you have on material pleasures or on eternal pleasures? Do people closest to you see you as generous or as greedy? Are relationships around you healthy or becoming fractured because of your spending habits? Are you filling your God-shaped void with prayer or with things?
What priority do you put on carrying out God’s business, in doing his will? Are you so busy maintaining a lifestyle that you're disinterested, disengaged, and simply unavailable to do the work God has in mind for you?
And finally, we reap what we sow. What kind of seeds are you sowing? Are you putting Christ in the middle of your finances? Are you truly serving others, generously? Are you perhaps ignoring God? Are you taking advantage of others? Are you at peace with God? Are you prepared to stand before him? Do you see yourself as a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes?
These are sober reflections indeed, but reflect we must if we're to honor God in the area of our finances.