The LOVE of Money has no Boundaries!  “Its gonna cost ya!”

 It is so subtle.  People love money!  All types and ages and colors of people.  If human, they love money.  I don’t care if they are a 78 year old sweet church lady from Kentucky with a sweet southern accent.  The love of money is enticing and seductive and cannot be resisted. 

 It just happened to me tonight.  I need an alteration on trousers for my daughter’s wedding on Saturday and asked this nice church lady if she could help me.  Probably a 15 minute job for her, maximum.  “I can do it, but its gonna cost ya.”  I always pay but this time because I am in need with an emergency that she sensed was serious, it will cost me.  What does that mean?  I immediately replied that I need the trousers and that I would pay triple the regular price.  She seemed to love that response.  Wow!!!  This sweet “Church Lady” is willing to charge me triple her normal price because I am in an “urgent need” situation.  She is willingly taking advantage of my problem to benefit her bank account.

 So I thought about that for a couple of hours and instead, asked my wife if she could do it and she was able to fix it.  I must confess that I was miffed and angry about the situation.  I have used this seamstress many times over the years bringing other work to her and applauding her skills.  But, the “its gonna cost ya” comment really upset me and disappointed me.

 Ok, don’t get me wrong.  We are not talking about thousands of dollars.  But isn’t it the principle of the matter that counts?  Are we called as children of the one true God to find opportunities and take advantage of people based on their negative situation?  Or, are we called to be like the Macedonians mentioned in 2 Corinthians 8.

“for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.  For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints.”

 This love for stuff and money is so subtle and anyone can fall into it.  Even little 78 year old sweet southern ladies who never miss church and spend every waking hour with their grandchildren.  They love God, they love country, they make a great apple pie and oh........ they love that almighty dollar too.  Its enticing, its delicious, its private, its faceless, its capitalistic and its American!  After all, books have been written on it.  Leaders tell you that you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.  Its gonna cost ya!

 Just like the Macedonians, they negotiated with Paul.  No!  Instead, they begged him and the church for the favor of giving, giving more than their means.  How do you do that?  You do that because you prefer others to yourself.  You serve and you prefer.  My friends, you GIVE til it hurts.  Its called sacrificial giving til it hurts.  Have you ever felt pain where you had abundance of joy and extreme poverty and a wealth of generosity?  IF you are an American, and most of you trying to read this are American, you have no clue what extreme poverty looks like, tastes like or smells like.  NO clue!  None!   But Paul says the Macedonians were living it and they still begged him earnestly for the favor of helping the saints.  This giving is a favor, not a chore or a dreaded obligation!  Do me a favor………… let me give to you out of my poverty.

The love of money is a subtle sin that even sweet ladies can commit and still look sweet and Godly.  Breaking the 10th Commandment is more common than we think.  Coveting the stuff of others including their money will consume you and make you ineffective in the kingdom.  So why does no one talk about it or preach against it.  Because we all do it!  Often!  This is about the intentions and desires of our hearts.  "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."  Especially in this materialistic country we live in where money is power and more money is more power.  And we are all pursuing it with all of our heart, mind and soul and NOT the Kingdom.  

But Jesus said it differently in Matthew 13:44 when he told his disciples:

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up.  Then in his         joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."

Why have I been writing about the love of money for the last 10 years?  Because I would rather buy stupid stuff than that field.  I would rather vacation and enjoy the good life than the kingdom of heaven!

But................. sooner or later......... "its gonna cost ya".