Vince Deagler

i’m not sure when i first heard that, i think it was in the bush v. clinton campaign of 1992, but i could be mistaken. it really doesn’t matter when, what does matter is how very relevant that statement remains in our present crisis. now, don’t misunderstand, as a christ follower i am not about to buy into the sky is falling mentallity that is so pervasive today. jesus is bigger than this crisis, he has promised to take care of my needs, his story will play out as he intends, and my life is more than the sum total of my net worth and the things money affords, etc. but in the midst of this crisis there are many people hurting and suffering. this is where i tend to struggle. what i mean by that is a lot of the people who are hurting and suffering probably should be, they need to, its the only way they will ever change. but not all, and i’m not sure how to sift all that out. i do know that god has an awful lot to say on finances, and i do believe that when we follow his teaching we will benefit as individuals and as a society. but the reality is, there is such an interconnectedness within our economy that all but assures that no matter how careful you are to do things god’s way, you can through no fault of your own suffer because of the behavior of others. housing prices have fallen for everyone, not just those who caused the crisis.  many who lost their job in this crisis were hard working, upstanding citizens.  retirement funds, pension funds, life savings have been lost across the spectrum of society.  in fact in many ways the responsible have lost more than the irresponsible.  think about it, someone who bought a $500,000 home with no money down and deferred interest probably lost very little when they lost their home.  sure they lost their home, but they had no equity, they made no down payment, and they would have had some kind of payment such as rent no matter where they lived.  but then there is that responsible home owner who did everything right, is paying their mortgage, but their home is worth half or less of what it once was worth.  i find that incredibly frustrating and i’m not sure there is anything i can do about it. there is one thing i can do, i’ll put it in the form of a question…is there a biblical perspective on the economy? does god have an opinion? if so, what is it? does this have any connection to our current economic crisis? does god offer any insight into how we can dig our way out? or how to ensure something like this ever happens again? in a few weeks we are gonna start tackling questions like this in our sunday morning service. but i will do some thinking out loud right here in leading up to this.

let’s start with that question, what does god have to say about economics and finance. obviously, i will not be able to cover everything, but let me lay out a few big principles. the first thing we must remember is god is the owner of everything. he has entrusted his creation to us to function as stewards. a steward is not the owner, he manages for the owner in the owner’s best interest. this one principle, if applied, would change our societal and personal finances because it would require us to operate according to the teachings found in god’s word. what that practically means is everything i have, everything i am, everything i will ever have or be belongs to god and i must manage that resource for him. this is true in washington and sacramento too, but i’ll try to focus more on us as individuals because i can’t do much about what is going on in washington or sac town.

god expects each of us to manage the resource he has entrusted to us in a responsible manner. this is one of those areas where i am not sure we have a clear picture of god. in the parable of the talents jesus tells a story of a wealthy landholder entrusting his servants with portions of his estate prior to taking an extended journey. one servant recieved 5 talents, another 2, and another 1. that matches up nicely with reality. although we talk about equality, and i do believe we are all equal in our humanness, equality of life circumstance simply does not exist. the poorest in america are wealthy by third world standards. those born in the inter-city do not begin life with the same advantage as those born into affluence. what god makes abundantly clear is we are to take what resource and opportunity is available to us and use it fully for him. notice the emphasis on him. again, this one principle would revolutionize our world. we are so centered on self, when we ought to be focused on doing what god wants us to do. by taking the resource god has provided and using it fully, he expects us to provide for ourselves, those in need, and fund his work. this is how we accumulate wealth. the neat thing is god allows us to manage his resource and prosper while doing so. the key is that focus on him. so much of the present crisis stems from a self focus. that isn’t an issue in god’s plan.

another essential issue to cover is god’s opinion on debt. do you notice how often we are told to protect our credit rating? how important good credit is? how we are bombarded with credit offers? this is due to the fact that we have become a consumer driven society. our economy demands we consume. but the offerings of consumption are so great they out pace our ability to keep up. hence we have credit. credit gives us the ability to live beyond our means. but at the same time we end up in debt, and this is nothing more than slavery. debt is the result when my liabilities exceed my assets. but do not be decieved. to liquidate your assets can be costly. a few examples…how much is a $1000 sofa worth a week after you take it home? how about a $20,000 car a month after you have purchased it? how about that pair of jeans? you should get the point, many economists suggest your assets be twice your liabilities or more to be safe. but this is where everything began to unravel. because if you bought that sofa on credit, you will pay $1000 plus interest even though it is no longer worth that. worse yet, many pay only a minimal balance so before they pay that sofa off, if they ever do pay it off, they need a new one because it is worn out. this same thing happens with tires, washing machines, computers, cars., jeans, etc. before you know it, if you are not careful, you are drowning in debt. you have become the slave of the lender. you no longer manage your money, your creditors have seized that role.  but your consumer instict probably hasn’t been curbed so the whole thing spins out of control until you end up in bankruptcy or dealing with collection agencies, refinancing options, loan consolidations, etc.  the answer is recognize credit for what it is, and do not let it lead you into living beyond your means.  i love an old amish proverb that says “use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without”.  the problem is we have been programmed to consume, our economy is built on consumption, and something has to give.  well the crisis we are presently facing points to the fact something did give.  i’ll get in to that tomorrow.  tell me what your thinking.  give me some feedback.  thanks.  vince