Our Stories
God First
By Thom Allison | posted 11/13/2008
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)
As is my custom I was watching CNBC to get the latest business and finance news during breakfast the other day. They had a guest on who was talking about subsidies to help homeowners stay in their home. Mark Haines, the co-host, started to complain that we should not be using taxpayer's money to bail out people who bought homes they could not afford. He said it was unfair to people who bought homes they could afford, with reasonable mortgages that they are working hard to pay according to the contractual agreement. In short, he was saying that responsible people should not be penalized to help out those that made a mistake.
I thought about his comment as I drove to work and found several objections to it. Some of those objections center around assuming responsibility, some of them stem from a sense of misplaced indignation, but the one I want to focus on is a philosophical objection.
At the core of Mark's comments is a "me first" attitude. "I did not make the mistake and the vast majority of other homeowners did not make the mistake. Why should we provide funds, through our taxes, to bailout those who did?" This same, "me first" attitude is evident in the advice dispensed by the financial gurus on television, on the radio and in our print media. Every one of them will tell you that you should take the first 10% of what you earn and put it into savings for yourself.
As a financial advisor I'm all in favor of my clients saving money for their needs. Putting aside 10% of what is earned each month to help fund future expenses like education, vacation, car purchases and retirement is sound financial advice. However, as followers of Jesus I find that God first and me second is what we are called to do. The first 10% or more goes to God and the second 10% or more goes to me and/or my family.
And saying the first 10% goes to God is only accurate on the surface. It actually goes to help out other people. That's what God calls us to do; use the resources He provides us with to help meet the needs of others as well as our own needs. Right after pointing out that he worked with his hands to provide for his own needs, Paul told his listeners in Ephesus, "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive'". (Acts 20:35)
So I get it that we should help out the weak and unfortunate but should we also help people who make poor decisions? I think so. After all Jesus spent a lot of time talking to people who had made poor decisions in their lives. There were tax collectors, the woman with five husbands, even the folks who failed to plan for enough wine at the wedding. I think at the core of God-first is the willingness to help those who make bad decisions right along with those who are victims.
At Creekside we are building a community that connects faith in Jesus Christ with the realities of our everyday lives. One of those realities is that we sometimes make unwise choices. I've seen people at Creekside living out our mission by helping others, without judging to recover from poor choices and using not only money but also skills to help them avoid the same mistake.
I'm pleased to be a part of Creekside. I'm pleased to be a part of a community that reaches out with a God first attitude. I'm please to be part of a community that uses all its resources to help people whenever they need help.
To respond to this message, email Thom at tallison@allisonspielman.com.
