The correct use of money |
Christianity is not only the biggest religion in the world, it is by far the wealthiest. There is nothing wrong with money in itself, but the Bible warns that loving money is 'the root of all evil'. Christians in rich, developed countries should see their wealth as a gift from God that must be used carefully.
Jesus said it was harder for a rich man to enter heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. Some Christians have a lot of money, but the important things is to put God first before their money:
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
Matthew 6:24
Jesus told the following story to show what happens if people try to store up more wealth than they need while on earth:
Speaking to the people, he went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot."
Then he told them this story: "The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself: "What can I do? My barn isn't big enough for this harvest.' Then he said, "Here's what I'll do: I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll gather in all my grain and goods, and I'll say to myself, Self, you've done well! You've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!'
"Just then God showed up and said, "Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods--who gets it?'
"That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God."
Luke 12:15-21
The following passage is often misunderstood. The instruction Jesus gave was specifically aimed at the rich man who wanted to please God. Jesus knew that the man's wealth was more important to him than pleasing God. When you read his reaction to Jesus' order, you can see Jesus was right. Christians shouldn't get too attached to their wealth.
Jesus looked him hard in the eye--and loved him! He said, "There's one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me."
The man's face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.
Mark 10:21-22
The first Christians shared everything they had – they were not greedy. Everyone got what they needed. This is an example of how a just and fair world should be;
“The group of believers was one in mind and heart. None of them said that any other belongings were their own, but they all shared with one another everything they had……there was no one in the group who was in need.”
Acts 4:32-25
Many Christians feel uncomfortable living in the modern "consumerist" world that puts money and profit before people. Augustine wrote that business itself was evil. He believed that, while it was fine to make and sell goods, it was wrong to be in the business of merely buying and selling. In the 21st Century, with 6 billion people in the world, consumerism is a reality. However, there are many principles that can help people to spend their money more ethically. For example, it is much better to do your weekly shop at a Farm shop which sells local produce, than to go to a supermarket that brings food from all over the world. The local producer will get more money from the farm shop, and less damage will have been done to the environment if the food hasn't travelled far.
Positive buying is favouring ethical products, be they fair trade, organic or cruelty free. This option is arguably the most important since it directly supports progressive companies.
Negative purchasing means avoiding products you disapprove of such as battery eggs or polluting cars.
Company-based purchasing involves targeting a business as a whole. For example, the Nestlé boycott targets all its brands and subsidiaries in a bid to force the company to change its marketing of baby milk formula in the Third World.
The fully screened approach is a combination of all three and means looking at all the companies and products together and evaluating which brand is the most ethical.
Christians try not buy from companies that: