Money

When the concept came up last night about money being the biggest competitor of God and if we agree. I do truly agree with that. I know somone mentioned "love" being a competitor but God is love:) Anyways, one complete and very real testifier to this concept of money being the biggest competitor to God, I feel I experienced today...

I think that one of the most depressing places I have ever witnesed is the unemployment office. Note, this is only based on my experiences, I am sure there are far more depressing sites than the unemployemnt office. Maybe it was because we have been studying about money and the heart's condition of worship in this manner, but I truly felt a sorrow today while I was waiting for my turn. I was actually trying to read a book and since the wait time is 2+ hours, I was looking forward to finishing this book I was into. Unfortunately I was disrupted by everyone coming through the doors and I began listening to their requests, questions, concerns. You can see solemn on thier faces. There is not a single "fancy" person, adorned in jewels, etc., not a single prideful being, not an outcast...it is a quiet place. A mournful place as people are trying to plead their cases. There is not a single sound of laughter...at all. The end result of visiting this office-money. That is why I was there. My benefits were revoked and I needed to fix the error and I had to go and I was a little nervous wondering if something was wrong with my file. I was nervous that my benefits would end. Nervous about not having this money. I can guarantee there is not a single person that walked into that office today that did not have this fear. This office, the end result being that you will be receiving money was their security. I started to ask myself why I was nervous and question whether I was trusting God in this. Then I thought about the person next to me and the person next to them...do they know Jesus? Do they trust that this is just a procedure and that ultimately God will provide? Do they know Jesus? Can something offer encouragment to them in these grueling 2 hour wait lines, where they have already lost the security of a job? Is that all they place their faith in...money? I don't know. I don't know what is on their mind, but I can see their faces and I can hear the stillness of worry and hardship.

The chapter I was reading all while pausing from the interruptions of the people coming in and out of the office, was noting on the Gospel of Jesus versus the Gospel of Ideas. We as a church can sometimes come to be blamed on leaving the relational aspect out of our understanding of the Bible and base everything purely on scientific, systematic facts. Miller quotes, "In a culture that worships science, relational propsitions will always be left out of arguments attempting to surface truth. We believe, quite simply, that unless we can chart something, it doesn't exist. And you can't chart relationships. Furthermore, in our attempts to make relational propositions look like chartable realities, all beauty and mystery is lost. And so when times get hard, when reality knocks us on our butts, mathematical propositions are unable to comfort our failing hearts." I kind of teared up after reading this, all while sitting in my chair...I cannot see beauty in this room. I cannot offer a solution to thier money issues...I can offer a relationship. But Jesus can offer so much more, and so I began to pray. I can see money as the biggest competitor to God and when money fails....there He is. He still IS.

That tugged on me.