12 Reasons Why We Need Godly Men More Than Ever
by on Oct 13th, 2009 at 12:04 am
#6 - We Are Enslaving Ourselves to Money
Gentlemen, whether you know it or not, you are pretty much on your own for learning the lessons that come with wise financial stewardship. Though the recent financial meltdown has redirected our cultural attention to reclaiming sound financial principles, the sad reality is that very little is being done to help you understand how to eliminate debt, build a net worth, and strategically compete in a market that is dead set on getting to your money before you do.
In the spring of 2008, just before Wall Street had a panic attack, I did some research in preparation for a national conference of education professionals. I surveyed 101 Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States. I researched their core curriculum to see whether or not they required young Christian adults, the leaders of the next generation, to study biblical principles of personal finance. I also researched their financial aid departments to see what they offered, and finally, I looked into their extra-curricular activities to see if personal finance training was being offered even as an option to students.
The results of my survey were frightening. Of the 101 Christian institutions, only 3 required a class on economics. Most economics classes are macroeconomics, which means that they study the larger market and not the economics of personal finance. Additionally, 35 schools offered economics as an elective, but only 3 of those schools had classes specifically oriented to the issue of the biblical principles of personal finance.
Only 12 of the 101 Christian institutions offered extra-curricular programs that deal with personal finance. However, 10 of the schools’ programs were offered only once a year. This means that if you had a quiz on the one afternoon in the school year that they held a seminar on personal finance, you had no chance of catching it again. Don’t worry though, I did find that there are other activities to master while in college, such as (I’m not making these up): knitting clubs, equestrian clubs, “earthkeeping” clubs, ecology groups, live improv comedy groups, Christian surfers clubs, animal of the month clubs, handbell choirs, stamp clubs, bagpipe clubs, and anime clubs. We don’t want to leave you unprepared to lead the world in 20 years do we?
The worst indictment could be leveled against the financial aid offices, which scored an absolute zero on helping students prepare for a life of strong financial management. There are hundreds of programs on finding loans and figuring out monthly payments on debt, but nothing is offered to teach the next generation of Christian men and women on how to build wealth.
Now, what I shared might anger many people who work in Christian higher education because this is terrible news. Yet, all I did was poke around at what was offered. I have a tremendously high respect for Christian institutions of higher learning. I work at one, and that is why I am not naming names. Perhaps, we could effectively argue that our responsibility is not to teach students these matters; that this is a matter for parents to handle at an earlier stage in life.
Regardless of who is at fault, there are two facts that cannot be denied. First, today’s students are entering the marketplace with greater debt loads than any previous generation, and that is not including consumer debt. In other words, you are less than broke. Second, this debt means that our generation of Christian men and women will spend the first two decades of our adult lives as slaves to mammon. Before we can give to the work of the Church, the banks will require their money. Before we can volunteer our time on the mission field, church, or community, we will have to work hours of labor to earn enough money to make our minimum monthly debt payments.
One of the greatest elements of shame that American Christianity will have to answer for in this century will be how it made itself slaves to mammon and then enslaved its children to the same wicked master. That is why we need to grow up now, get serious about learning from God’s Word what true financial management is, and then lead ourselves and our families out of debt. Jesus said, in Luke 16, that we are unfit to handle spiritual matters if we abuse the management of our financial resources. He also said that we will either serve Him or worldly wealth. This was not a hypothetical option for a select few; this was an ultimatum to every follower of Jesus. When we are in debt, we betray our true master. Don’t believe me? Try missing your payments for one month and see if you are not owned.
I know all about financial slavery. The chains of my financial bondage included over 35,000 links, and it took four years to chip each one away. I am far from rich, but my family is at least positioned to live without the stress of collectors, and we can enter into ministry with freedom and joy. I urge you to do the tough job of learning about financial stewardship so that you can serve God and master money. Clearly, others are not really helping you too much, so you will have to do your own heavy lifting in this matter. In future weeks, we will try to point you in positive directions, but for now, meditate on Luke 16. Let it break your heart, and then have the will to prepare for better stewardship.