(Sorry about not posting this on Wednesday. Blogger wouldn't let me post anything at all.)
It is helpful if you read Monday's Devotion first to have the background for today.
So, what kind of car do you drive? My first pastoral appointment was as an associate at Salem-in-Ladue UMC at the corner of Highway 64 and Lindbergh Blvd. in St. Louis. Salem's membership is probably the wealthiest of all UMC's in Missouri. Nancy and I would drive to church in our 1992 Chrysler mini-van and park near the Escalades.
During the first two years of our ministry there we lived in a cramped apartment on the campus of Eden Theological Seminary. Once in a while, just for fun, we would take a long route home that the kids would call "the big house way." This was a scenic drive past some of the most expensive house in the state and they would enjoy ooh-ing and ahh-ing along the way.
One of the members of Ladue was giving at a very significant level and was known around town as a savvy businessman. He was also known for his charitable giving in the community, beyond what he gave to the church. At the annual nominations committee meeting I was given the task of asking him to become a member of the Finance team. His response was, "Dave, God has blessed me the ability to make an obscene amount of money. Because of this I get to privilege of giving a lot of it away. I'm always asked to serve on these boards and committees due to my willingness to be a financial supporter. However, if my focus is on the inner workings of those charities I won't be focusing on my business. Therefore I won't make as much money and will have less to give away. I just believe that God has blessed me to make this kind of money because he trusts that I won't keep it but rather will give it to those who really need it. So, no, I won't serve on the finance team, but I will make sure that the finance team has plenty to work with."
OK, that's a circumstance that most of us never find ourselves in. However, it's an attitude that we should all cultivate in our lives. This man's money was won for the purpose of giving it away. That's was his motivation at work. Did he drive a nice car? Yes, but not the most expensive. Did he live in a big house? Yes, but not near as big as he could. These things were not his focus. They did not identify who he knew himself to be. He saw himself as a tool being used by God to fund ministry.
The bible tells us that it's the love of money that is our problem. We see money as our security and our ability to accumulate and hoard more and more. As this is the case, there is never enough to own, and always one more thing to own, one more new car to buy, and one more home upgrade to pursue. That is a life that can never be satisfied, and ultimately may end up disappointed and disillusioned with life.
Once again, why don't you pray that prayer from St. Patrick found here?
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