Berea Reformed Evangelical Church

There is nothing wrong with being shrewd managers of what we’ve been given. Indeed, Jesus’ own chosen example for a parable on this topic involves money—material wealth. So material wealth is included in the “nothing wrong.” Furthermore, not only is their ‘nothing wrong’ with trying to be efficient managers of what we’ve been given, but we are commanded to do so. We are called to husband God’s creation, to cultivate it, to get it to grow. This includes whatever God has in His providence deemed fit to give us—whether it be talents, money, or children. Take it, use it, and make it grow.

But prior to all is the gift. Before we make anything grow, before we set to the task of cultivating and efficiently managing, we must have the ‘raw materials’ given to us. This certainly has implications for our behavior—stealing is wrong, etc. But at an even deeper level, this has implications for our attitude towards wealth. To some God gives much, and to some He gives little. Either way, we are obligated to work with what has been given, to make it grow, to glorify God in the return. This is the meaning of the abundant life, a life spent growing. It has nothing to do with how much we start out with, or how much we finish with. Let God give as He sees fit. None of it is truly ‘ours’, except as it has been given. And it can be taken away.

Wealth should not be despised, nor should it be coveted. It simply should not be our concern. Let God give what He will, and live the abundant life of gladly accepting and growing that gift (and helping others to grow theirs).

So what about those in need? Encourage them. The “good life” is not something only available to men of leisure. Socrates and Plato are wrong here. The poor can live the abundant life, too; not because “suffering is illusory,” but because suffering is already defeated by the One who suffered. Death and suffering and hardship still take us, but they have no sting. These cannot enslave, cannot defeat, cannot destroy. They are still with us, among us, but we transcend them by living a life of abundance in any case.

This doesn’t mean that the naked should not be clothed or the hungry fed. (God forbid!) But it does mean that we must not conceive of our ministry to the community as simply “compassion for the poor” (perhaps chastened, a bit, by Nietzsche on this point, see The Gay Science iv.338). Compassion implies–beyond its unobjectionable etymology–that we take pity upon those who have so much less than us. But this is an inaccurate picture. We all have the same God. We all have everything. Make it grow.

The poor do not need pitiful compassion, any more than does Bill Gates. What they need is encouragement. Encouragement to live a life of beauty and joy in the midst of whatever hardships or blessing God chooses to give them. This is the kind of encouragement we all need, and which will allow anyone to transcend any hardship. This fulfills the law of Christ. Joy, not compassion.