The primary difference between a rich Christian and a poor Christian is the mindset. These differences are also common with non-Christians. The following is a list of thoughts that poor Christians have regarding money:
"Money is the root of all evil!"
"The love of money is the root of all evil." (This is not the whole verse)
"Rich people are greedy and selfish."
"I don't need a lot of money."
"I'm content."
Rich Christians seem to have a much more positive outlook.
"I'm blessed with many opportunities for prosperity."
"I am thankful for my abundant life."
"I am grateful for my wealth and future blessings."
"I enjoy the financial freedom I've been blessed with."
"I will strive for financial advancement everyday because I feel guilty if I don't."
As a young boy I had two Sunday School teachers. Of course basketball were both Christians and basketball of Christ. They both shared the same values, ethics, and religious views. But they had differences of opinion on the subject of money. My poor Sunday School teacher, Brother Shoddy, picked me up every Sunday to go to Church when I was 9 years old. He was enthusiastic and loved preaching the Gospel. And I loved to hear it over and over. Brother Shoddy had a lot of energy and devoted much of his time to his ministries. I tried to help him by inviting all my friends to come to Sunday School with us. My friend Chris was the only one that accepted my invitation because I bribed him with a game of basketball at my house after church. Brother Shoddy was happy to pick up Chris, bring us to church, and tell us some great Bible stories. It was great because I got to hang out with my best friend and my spiritual mentor.
One day on the way home from Church, Chris asked, "Brother Shoddy, will you play basketball with us, I need a challenge!" Before I could respond to the trash talking, Brother Shoddy said, "Sure Chris, I thought you guys would never ask. But only for one hour because I have homework just like you kids." Brother Shoddy was a student athlete and the MVP at the Christian College in our city. He was in the newspapers all the time. When we arrived at my house, Chris and I rushed through the door and changed into play clothes. We went back outside to the driveway and Brother Shoddy was already warming up with a basketball he pulled from the trunk of his Geo Metro.
It was my house so I made up the rules. I liked to play to eleven points and if I was losing I would change it to 16 points. Each basket counted as one point unless it was a long distance shot from the mailbox. Then it would be two points. Within three minutes of our driveway basketball game, Brother Shoddy, had 10 points to our 2 points. Chris and I were surprised by his ability to dunk a basketball with either hand while wearing church shoes. We were also amazed by his athleticism and quickness. So to further delay the inevitable, I changed the rules. I told Brother Shoddy, "The winning score is 16! And we are allowed to foul you!" To avoid getting fouled, he made three consecutive shots from beyond the mailbox resulting in his first victory on Hammondwood Road.
I humbly accepted defeat and gave Brother Shoddy two Capri-Suns. Chris and I could only get one each since we lost. So over a few drinks, I asked Brother Shoddy, "When are you going in the NBA? You will be a millionaire! Can we get tickets?" Brother Shoddy laughed and said, "There's a lot of temptation when you have that kind of money. I'm not really interested in that." Chris being older than me impressed me with his knowledge when he asked, "But isn't A.C. Green a Christian NBA player? He's rich and he believes in the Gospel". And I followed with, "Yea you can buy bigger churches, more Geo Metros, and really nice basketball courts for the church!" Brother Shoddy settled the conversation with, "It would be fun, I'm sure, but I am very content and I don't want really want to be rich. But I will pick you guys up next week!" Chris and I scratched our heads with confusion. To get over the defeat and the unpredicted conversation we turned the TV on to watch the Bulls play.
On that Sunday afternoon I started thinking about Christians. I realized that we all shared the same spiritual beliefs. We believed in the Gospel and everything the Bible tells us. I also realized that we were allowed to be different. We did not have to like the same car, the same flavor of Capri-Sun, or even the same basketball team. And when I learned more about A.C. Green and Brother Shoddy, I decided that everyone has the freedom of choice and can create their own reality while staying true to their core values, ethics, and principles.
Rellie Lorenzo
http://www.rellielorenzo.synthasite.com
Let's Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/rellie4you
No comments:
Post a Comment