Money, Economics, & the Christian's Highest Affections

By Pastor Jon Mark Olesky

I’m writing this on the plane coming home from a two day conference thinking on monetary systems, currency problems and moral solutions. Profound things are being discussed in this realm, and I learned a lot.

Here are 3 theological foundational thoughts on economics, money and work, followed by a few practical points for further thought.

Here’s where we start.

1. The Purpose of Money 

Money is meant to be a tool to love God and love others. It’s not a place to search for self-worth, identity, and happiness.

Money reveals what your heart loves most (Matt 6:21,24). For many it reveals itself as their god, and like most gods, it requires sacrifices, usually in the form of time, sleep, family.

Don’t bow, this god isn’t worthy.

2. The Principle of Money

Money requires sowing and reaping (Gal 6:7). When this sow/reap principle is broken, things go bad—especially for the poor.

The rich tend to create systems and structures that exploit the poor so that the poor sow and don’t reap, and work becomes more futile than it otherwise should be.

Greed and theft of some make the curse of work much worse than it should be for the masses.

3. The Restoration of Money

Money is tied to work, and honest work (in a free market society) allows us to serve our neighbor.

Theft corrupts justice by allowing those that have not labored to reap the fruits of those who have. This is a great injustice. It robs the dignity of those who are made in image of a God who works.

According to Eph 4:28, the scriptural progression to right this injustice is this:

  1. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather

  2. Let him do honest work, so that

  3. He may have something to share with anyone in need.

Money and the Christian’s Affections

There are reasons Jesus spoke of money more than anything else. He knew that most wrong others to get money, when they should work to get money so they can love others and honor God. These biblical foundations press one into other related questions like… 

  • What is the history of money?

  • What are the personal/national consequences of debt?

  • What is the government’s role concerning fiat currency (i.e, “the dollar”)?

  • What are the moral consequences of corrupt money systems without a fixed standard? 

  • What is “inflation,” really?

  • What would “moral money” look like? 

Whether we realize it or not, we are all economists. We are constantly asking question like, “is this gas price too high?” or “What value is truly fair for toothpaste?” These are economic concerns.

This world is one in which money is relevant for the church, the family, missions, caring for the poor, doing justice in society. We talk about these things, but often fail to see how much money affects them.

In my opinion, Christians should think more about money so that we would love it less, and instead learn to use it to love God and others more.

Because, at the end of the day, the Christian’s heart loves the Giver infinitely more than monetary gifts he gives us through work.

Pastor Jon Mark Olesky