Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life. Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions. These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy.Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

1 Timothy 6:3-10

Well this post is for the “Money and the Church” synchroblog topic, but I really don’t want to write about the church and its involvement with money (although for those who did decide to write about that, verse 5 above sure does ring true!) especially since I myself just don’t have a lot of personal experience over that. I do however want to talk about myself, as it seems a lot are instead writing about other people instead of themselves.

UPDATE: 11/20/07 – Over the weekend we went to Sam’s Club to stock up on supplies for Thanksgiving (and the Respite Program dinner we did last night…), and I saw a Nativity set that were something like 2 foot high. The cost? Almost $500

I do feel content with enough things in my life, but I still struggle… you see I’m stingy with money. That may not put it in strong enough words. I can be nice and say that I’m “frugal”. I don’t like to buy things new unless I REALLY have to. But here’s the thing – I don’t love money but I’m almost anti-obsessed with money if that makes any sense at all.

My thoughts on “stuff”

Garage sales are just super. I truly would love it if there was someplace I could go with things and just trade stuff [I have but don't want] for other stuff – that’d just be swell. When it comes to donations for anything (like clothing drives), I don’t immediately think about going to a store and buying new items – I think about what we have but don’t need anymore and what I can buy at Goodwill (or similar) to donate. Is this wrong? I know some things are clearly stipulated that they want as new, like socks or underwear – that totally makes sense. But what about the rest? Is there really anything that wrong with used items? Why can’t we as a culture recycle more of our stuff? You know – REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE?

My thoughts on “money”

I just don’t like to spend. I have no qualms over some spending including financial giving (primarily tithing but an occasional donation usually at the end of the year) and groceries, mortgage, gas, utilities, etc. It’s all the “rest” that we spend on that kind of somewhat annoys me. I actually have to stop myself on thinking about these other things. We are on a budget (just started!) and are trying to pay off our debts by this simple plan from a book called Total Money Makeover (I won’t go into the concepts of the book but I really dig what he is saying).

Our culture though is just a bit more than I can take sometimes. Buying so much just so easily. Getting offer after offer after offer for credit cards and lines of credit. This whole idea of “consumer confidence”. Buying new [x] when you can’t even afford to buy a decent used [x]. A serious problem with a lot of people having significant credit card debt. Spending when you just don’t have the money.

I think I’m in some extreme viewpoint – if we just don’t spend any money at all beyond the very bare necessities, then …. but let me tell ya. I’m sure I’m not on the right track especially since I have a family. But here’s the thing – I know someone who is – my wife. She’s frugal – but realistic and not obsessed about it. I know (as she’s told me) that I have on occasion taken the fun out of life over this money stuff.

In conclusion

I really wonder how much any of us can truly do what we do in life without money to some extent. Some of us will have the “gift” (I sometimes wonder if it would be a curse) of significant prosperity and some of us will be far from it. But what I really believe is that ALL OF US must properly understand how to manage and control our money so we put it to good use. Not spending all our money (or more than our money) on anything and everything. Not being deep in debt. And possibly helping others recognize and learn how to control their money too.

So what do you think? Do we have a problem with money?

What about the rest of these synchrobloggers on this topic? OK here you go:

• Magazinial Outreach at Decompressing Faith
  
• The Check That Controls at Igneous Quill by Adam Gonnerman
• Trusting God: A New Perspective at Eternal Echoes by Sally Coleman
• Greed and Bitterness at Square No More by Phil Wyman
• But I Gave at Church at The Assembling of the Church by Alan Knox
• Moving Out of Jesus Neighborhood at Be the Revolution by David Fisher
• Money and the Church: why the big fuss? at Mike’s Musings by Mike Bursell
• Bullshit at The Agent B Files by Agent B
• The Bourgeois Elephant… at Headspace by Lainie Petersen
• The Church and Money at Khayna by Steve Hayes
• Pushing The Camel at Fenando’s Desk by Fernando Gros
• Lord, Won’t You Buy Me a Mercedes Benz at Hello Said Jenelle by Jenelle D’Alessandro
• Walking with the Camels at Calacirian by Sonja Andrews
• Money and the Church: A Fulltime Story at The Pursuit by Lew A
• Coffee Hour Morality at One Hand Clapping by Julie Clawson
• Bling Bling in the Holy of Holies at In Reba’s World by Reba Baskett
• Money’s too tight to mention at Out of the Cocoon by Paul Walker
• When the Church Gives at Payneful Memories by Leah
• Greed at Hollow Again by Dan Allen
• Tithe Schmithe at Discombobula by Sue
• Silver and Gold Have We – Oops at Subversive Influence by Brother Maynard
• What if We had Nothing by Tim Abbott
• Who, or What, Do You Worship at Charis Shalom by Bryan Riley
• Zach at Johhny Beloved by Zach Forrest
• Wealth Amidst Powers at Theocity by Kirk Bartha