1 TIMOTHY 6: 6-10
6 There is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; 7 for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; 8 but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. †
ECONOMIC INEQUITY
The headlines declare it: the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Widespread economic inequity calls for economic justice, say many.
Inequity is nothing new. Vast disparities in wealth and wealth-creating capacity, have been common for millennia. This does not depend upon the particular economic system of a country, because even in those countries which have waged revolutions to produce equal outcomes—such as Russia and China—staggering inequities remain their norm.
Those calling for economic justice believe in equal outcomes beyond equal opportunity, which means as long as some people have more or better property than others, then something isn’t right.
The statistics on economic disparity are as wide and ranging as their political perspectives. Again, it seems one can find facts to fit one’s pre-established bias.
We addressed poverty several weeks ago, and every Christian will acknowledge that the Bible reveals God’s heart for the poor. The question is: can poverty and income inequity be solved by politics?
SYSTEMIC SOLUTIONS?
All history—of every nation—is enlightened by considering the economic history of any period or country.
What does history show us regarding the power of political systems to deliver economic equality? Chiefly, we see a disparity between the plans on paper and the actual practices.
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels proposed a system to create a classless, property-less society. Honestly, it looks good on paper: equality and fairness for all? That all sounds great! Yet, in over a hundred years of practice, we see little progress. Russia and China have far poorer poor than America and plenty of billionaires at the top.
There is a growing interest in socialism among younger generations. The primary appeal seems to be the promises of redistributed wealth and the end of economic inequities. This sounds great if you’re on the poor side—or worse—have enormous student loans to pay back over the next few decades, but it sounds horrible if you have worked very hard for a long time to achieve financial security.
I have a suggestion over how you might locate your own perspective.
The Hood Test
He is certainly one of the first anti-heroes to achieve international popularity. In simple terms, he stole from the rich and gave to the poor. In Robin Hood stories, the rich are always the bad guys and the poor are good guys without exception. So Robin Hood is a hero to those who would redistribute wealth by force—the socialist/communist economic worldview.
The original Robin Hood did not steal from the rich so much as he recovered what the rich and powerful had stolen from the common folk through political power and maneuvering. In the original, the bad guys are the elites who took away property from the people and used the law to do so. As such, Robin Hood and his merry band are like the original Tea Partiers.
Whether Robin Hood is a hero or a thief largely depends upon your perspective and what you stand to gain or lose by his thievery.
Either way, Robin Hood is a thief. He steals and he kills. He is no Christian hero, for we Christians tend not to believe that the ends justify the means. The means—how we behave between points A and B—define our moral character.
FOOLISH MARXISM
I did about a year as a socialist/communist in college. Sincerely. I was a true believer and believed that communism and Christianity mixed like sugar and water. Individuals own no property—I saw this in some of the Catholic orders—historically, monks and nuns—who hold all things in common. The same in communism. “Ah, yes!” I thought, “just like in Acts 2:44-45, when the infant Church had a heart”:
All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.
But then I read onward and wondered why this practice did not continue Why don’t we read about it in Acts 15 or Acts 20? Why does Paul not instruct any of the new churches to conduct themselves this way?
There is one, simple answer: it didn’t work. People realized they could reap the benefits of other people’s labor without laboring themselves.
Marxism—communism and socialism—tend toward failure because Marx and Engels had a flawed philosophy of humanity. Marx wrote that man would work for the common good because it is his essential nature to engage in free and creative activity. That sounds great, but when you set up a system that rewards people just as much for avoiding work as for working, then the theory falls flat. Marx was wrong about humankind and the Bible is correct. We are sinners. If the sin of sloth—which is doing the least possible to get by—is ever rewarded, it is guaranteed to flourish over and above free and creative work.
The fact is, we need some income inequity because competition is an excellent motivator. It is in being surrounded by more productive and more financially successful people that we find the motivation to work hard—to do what is hard and un-fun in the short term to advance ourselves and our families in the long run.
When I lived in Bakersfield, I went to boot camp. I was afraid of how hard they might work me. Yes, I was feeling my age and soon feeling very sorry for myself. While running two miles that first week, I was passed by a rather un-athletic guy at least 10 years older than me. That got me running again. I got tired and slowed, but then a very non-athletic, middle-aged, Mom-type looked as though she were preparing to pass me. “No way!” I thought, and dug in and found the strength to push myself all the harder. Yes, I hurt, but I finished well. Competition can be inspirational.
No wise person wants a socialist America. It’s not our design and it is outside of our DNA. It would surely destroy us. It was never the Founders’ intention to create a great State(as in Marxism) that would take your money and do good for others on your behalf. We don’t need a state to give to the poor instead of you and me giving to the poor. Do you really believe that the State—any State—is more virtuous in spending than you or me? Do you believe—as some wrongly do—that the State, unlike individuals, is beyond corruption? In such a system, the state is rewarded and encouraged toward power and corruption, and it is a lot easier to deal with corrupt individuals than it is corrupted states!
The chief reason to oppose socialism is that it takes away the virtue of giving from the individual. It robs you and me of the opportunity of giving to those in need. The State says, “No, you can’t serve the world rightly with your money—so give that money to me and I’ll give it to the poor for you.”
The good news about our system—and its mixed capitalism—is that you are free to give as much as you want, and all that you give is to your credit. You are free to give 90% to worthy charities if you like. You can do it and it will be your choice and yours alone because a foundational economic principle of American life is that you and I have the right to own property, which is untrue of communism. The socialist State would rob you of your heavenly treasure only to increase its own power.
History shows that capitalism has brought more wealth to more poor people than any economic system in history. And though we haven’t eliminated poverty, our poor are better off than the poor of any other nation, and they stand the best chances for climbing out of poverty yet.
Socialism appeals to those with less who resent others with more. This is more widespread than you might at first think.
A very revealing study asked a large number of people:
Would you rather earn $50,000 a year while other people make $25,000, or would you rather earn $150,000 a year while other people get $250,000? Assume for the moment that prices of goods and services will stay the same.
Most people—over 65%—answered that they would rather make less as long as it was more than those around them! That’s messed up, isn’t it? It is at the heart of the outcry against economic inequity. The Bible calls it either greed or envy—both of which are deadly sins.
JUST GREED & ENVY
A myth to dispel: greed is not only for the rich; greed is a problem for rich and poor alike.
One of my favorite writers and social commentators is Thomas Sowell, who says:
I have never understood why it is "greed" to want to keep the money you have earned but not greed to want to take somebody else's money.
Greed is universal—so universal that it is guaranteed to permeate and affect every economic system that humankind can devise.
Envy is universal as well. Envy is another word for coveting, as in “You shall not covet.”
It is very hard to avoid coveting things when so much of American life is dedicated to getting us to envy what others have. What else is advertising? Who among us has not been inundated with hours and hours of commercial messages telling us we ought to want more of what we do not have? Is it any wonder the crowds cry out for economic justice—by which they mean We Want More!?
Envy is toxic to the soul and should be actively eschewed by Christians. In 598 AD, Pope Gregory put it well:
From envy arises hatred, joy at neighbors' misfortune, and grief over his prosperity."
It is greed and envy which say: “That guy has more than me and it is not fair! I want someone to take from him and give to me so that I at least have as much as he!”
When “economic justice” advocates focus on equal outcomes and an empowered state to play Robin Hood in removing wealth from the rich for even distribution among all, they are advocating simple thievery, which is patently immoral—absolutely unacceptable for anyone with a functioning conscience or even the weakest moral compass.
THE FIX: CONTENTMENT
The fix for greed and envy are found in our Scripture today. Verse 8:
…if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.
Christian people: we are to practice contentment, which many people find elusive, and many others consider unworthy of our pursuit.
Jesus is constant and un-veering in calling us not to put our trust in the things of this world. Consider the lilies, Seek first the Kingdom, If anyone takes your shirt, then give your coat as well, Do not lay up treasures on Earth, etc., etc.
It is Christ’s call that we should place everything in our lives under greater considerations and deeper analysis than can be done by politicians and worldly theorists. God wants us ordering our lives against the backdrop of His love and the glories of His unsearchable mysteries. We are to order our lives up and against heavenly things:
- • our mystical connection with God.
- • our knowledge of God.
- • the gifts of the Spirit: Faith Hope Love Peace Patience Kindness Gentleness—all virtue and truth—all things that are excellent, praiseworthy, pure, true, and good.
If you must covet and envy something, covet these. I tell you in Jesus’ name that it is okay to covet things like God’s presence and the gifts only He can give!
As for us, we should actively pursue the kind of contentment which Scripture proclaims.
“Lagom”
Some wisdom from the Swedes—no, really!—the Swedes have a word that is difficult to translate, but the idea runs throughout Swedish culture and we would do well to practice it. The word is Lagom.
Lagom means something like practicing moderation—not too much, not too little, but just right. Not so much lukewarm, or Goldilocks’ porridge, but more like living a moderate lifestyle.
Swedes wouldn’t think of buying the very best of anything. Tesla? No way! Ferrari? Are you kidding? Mercedes Benz? Probably not. How about Toyota Tercel? Also no. Nothing too good and nothing too bad—go for the Volvo or Saab, no matter how much money you have to spend.
Swedes would consider it gauche—gaudy, showy, even crude—to own a house that is too big, a car too sleek, or clothes anything but off the rack. Modesty and moderation rule, and it is not a bad code for Americans—especially American Christians—to adopt.
Practicing contentment means finding that heart and spirit that says, “I have the Lord; what else could I really need?”
We don’t play one-upsmanship with the Smiths and Jones. We get by with less in order that we can give more. Our churchy word for this is stewardship, but we can call it whatever we like. The goal is that we would indeed practice contentment even as we seek justice for others.
BETTER AS GIVERS
Our life and witness are both improved exponentially when we are perceived as givers more than takers. Our lives know more joy and happiness when we decide to quit the Rat Race of envious climbing and accept the simpler blessings of walking with Christ in contentment.
To want to be rich or wealthy can do a Christian no good. America in many ways will beg us to want more and become unsatisfied with less, which means we are called to live a very alternative lifestyle indeed.
Verse 6 says it well: There is great gain in godliness combined with contentment.
May we all learn to live the Lagom life, and may we know God’s power and presence as we practice contentment. . †