Well, someone has to.
Several of the financial-guru-type authors I have read over the years listed the primary differences between the wealthy and the middle-class / poor.
One difference that tops those lists is that the wealthy are, by and large, comfortable talking about money.
The poor and middle-class are generally not. That’s certainly how things were in my household, growing up.
Where does Christian thinking lie on this spectrum? I think it is fair to say, more towards the poor and middle-class end of that scale. We don’t like to talk about money. As a subject, it generally ranges from uncomfortable, to taboo in most Christian circles.
When it is addressed directly, it is usually in the context of giving our tithes and offerings to the local church. While this is a step in the right direction, it barely scratches the surface.
Admit it or not, our relationship with money is far deeper and more complex than that.
Talk About Money
How is it that a subject so deeply ingrained in our human psyche is so seldom addressed in a Christian context?
The experts say that children already understand the connection between money and things by age four. When they lose their first tooth at around age six, they receive a shiny new coin in their slipper the next morning. Let’s face it, the reason that coin has such value in their eyes is because the value of money was already entrenched in their psyche years earlier.
Our relationship with money starts in early childhood and lasts for the rest of our lives. That relationship can be anything from healthy to downright toxic. It can be a blessing or a curse and the only factor that determines which, is our attitude towards money.
Why wouldn’t we talk about money as Christians?
I acknowledge there is way more to our Christian walk than money. However, most aspects of our spiritual condition and our relationship with God are properly addressed and widely taught by pastors and teachers in churches throughout the world. I have simply elected to address one important aspect that is, by and large, not.