The church as Generous and Wise

Living at the level of transaction

The study of economics can be defined roughly as the “allocation of scarce resources.” Meaning that when there is a finite number of items, economics will look at how those items are spread around groups of people.

When everything becomes a comparison, we of our relationships between what is the most value we can get out of . We limit others based on the value that we think they are worth. We have to make decisions on what something is worth. We take the infinite value of a human life and we quantify it. We say it is only worth so much.

We are no longer a society with an economic foundation we are what is called a market society. Everything is for sale. Everything has a price to it. We have come to believe that instead of the infinite value of a human life, we can reduce it down to some kind of cost. We quantify a human life. That is necessarily sin.

Stooping down and standing up

The call of the church is to not stoop down to transaction, seeing a limited value on human life, but to stand up in the posture of generosity and wisdom.

Acts 2:42 ESV

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

But the church began with devotion to what will never dry up and what will never run out. The church didn’t start with allocation of scarce resources, they started with the attention to divine gifts.

Everything we do as the church and everything we do as Christians begins with everything that God has given. We have been communicated to in God’s Word (the Apostles teaching). We have not be left out in the cold and silence. We have been brought in and instructed and guided and promised and cared for.

Christ is the call to stand up

Acts 2:43–45 ESV

And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

Acts 2:46–47 ESV

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

But we live in a scarce world.