Responsibility
When pondering on the thought of economics. What thoughts come to mind? Could it be the thoughts of production of good services, distribution? Or to get more in depth of detail about economics’, could it be thoughts of gathering and hunting, raising crops on a farm without the use of a tool? Agriculture, is included when looking at economics along with breeding and raising of animals. This title reflects on the responsibility for Christian when dealing with the social perspectives of poverty.
How can Christians maintain a Christ like reputation despite effects of poverty in the market place or other world influences? How do Christians learn and adapt to having the freedom to make mistakes and take risk to maintain the capabilities to grow and mature? God order’s the steps of his children and guides the right direction and path a person should take. There are times a believer must come to an understanding in the church building. A job title that may be given in the church may not be there assigned job. That believer could wrestle with the thought of, what I am doing on my job is not helping anybody. It is not always about the other person at the time. There are times that God could be using believers for strengthening, growth and maturity to then be able to help someone else. There is a time and a season for everything and nothing Christians do as far as working for the kingdom is in vain.
There is purpose in everything and aspect that humanity does and live out in life when toiling. Believers are to maintain a Christ like reputation by not thinking individually or isolating themselves but looking at the market place from a perspective of community and; building as a community with others. Believers are to maintain and focus on the proper way of toiling and create fruitfulness in the market place. The number one reputation in the marketplace and society is continuing to communicate, truth telling and building trust and dignity. Maintaining a Christlike reputation on the market place or society allows space for Christians believers to focus on three considerations. They are the needs of the world, our gifts, skills and our truest desires.
A potential ministerial framework for a Christian engaging in the world of work and commerce in line with biblical worldview for starters is to operate in love, faith and hope, along with a purpose to motivate equip and inspire. The believer is to influence those who are under nourished with the effects of poverty. “Poverty is a major social problem in America. (Grunlan)” Foundational values should be affirmed and created, along with educating of calling and vocation. Another potential framework for engaging Christians in the world is respecting the principle of responsibility and freedom. Meaning being held accountable for each other’s protection while promoting responsible living by influence to make right decisions and choices, when in response to God’s grace. Our framework should not be based on how much we can spend financially in the church or how big the building can be built. In society today “Americans are known for responding to the “if we build it they will come” syndrome, so if the church could just double its numbers, in a few years, the budget crunch would be erased. (Blomberg, 221)” The focus of improving and building from a Christian worldview is to participate actively on the outside community and join corporately. To allow God to restore, transform the sin and poverty that has taken place in the economic market and community. When dealing with commerce. Jesus regards our attitudes about money as very important in the formation of our character. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Mt 6:21, Lk 12:33). Researchers from a sociology perspective have already gathered the assumption that “the poor are almost three times as prone to psychiatric illness as the rest of society. (Harrington” and another assumption comes from Oscar Lewis which says, poverty recycles itself in the culture today. When the cycle repeats itself in our society that cycle then gets passed down from generation to generation causing the same patterns and behaviors to the next kin of family. Then will it be impossible to pass down legacies, inheritances to families unless the vicious cycle that is repeated from generation to generation is broken. When following the framework of God there must be order and direction to not get caught off guard and having another agenda. When humanity grasps the depth and understanding of loving God then will humanity be able to grow a proper respect for means of developing a proper attitude about money. The materials and resources that are used and provided by God will tell the story when building or starting a plan for frame work. “The poor you will always have with you. (Grunlan, 195)” People as well as believers are very aware of the property that exist in the world today. Every corner we turn there is no escaping poverty or the poor. The poor will always be among believers and non-believers in our society. Framework involves not being afraid of the restoration model process. Dealing with broken gaps and spaces, confronting boundaries and setting boarders. Which in the making of the process will turn into transformation whether it be work or commerce.
When looking at the social class of production, work and wealth. All three are a major impact and show demonstration of the workings of God’s kingdom. The word production is described a process of gathering and combining various immaterial and materials to create for consumption and the act of forming output a recommendable good or service which produces value and contributes to the utility of individuals. Work plays the vigorous role of being hard labor, stressed, trying to be a team player and work through task at a timed deadline. But, work is described as active that involves physical or mental effort done to achieve a result or purpose. Although, work does not always have to have the means of earning of income or a classified type of employment. Your work that you produce can be either you calling that God has called you to do. Lastly when a person consumes or ponders the word wealth, some people will automatically think about an abundance of money, status quo, great fortune or a vault that is highly secured with cameras and security or rich! without responsible and generous giving. Some members of the church community will think of money and wealth as prosperity and contentment for the needs of others or for themselves.
The wealth, work and production have a major impact in ministry at church and our employment along with accountability. Once people learn and are taught how to manage work all three components everything else will fall into place that God had ordained. The biggest impact in ministry is being responsible and mature to make smart and wise decisions along with making wise investments with funds created and given. For believers it is very important that believers of God’s kingdom reach out and have concern for the needy and the poor. that could even be for the poor in spirit and in heart. Being poor in spirit and in heart can also mean that person is broken. 1 John 3:17 -18, helps give instruction to handling people, place and things from an approach of concern and love that only God can give. Just because there is a stigma on the term poverty in the world that has been created by sociologist social system and their term of what the defining of poverty is. That does not mean all humanity and believers have to agree with that system that labels what poor and poverty are, when dealing with poverty of lack of malnutrition or financial stability. Since God has gave his people the great commission in Matthew 28: 16- 20. The responsibility then falls on believers to change the culture of poverty and work as a team in Christ to provide a solution and not settle for the system. To start this process of change could be taking on the approach of evaluate our social system. That will give Christians the opportunity to look at the criteria that Phillip Wogaman suggest.
For started we are called to operate out of love and Galatians 5:22–26 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking on another, envying one another.” Reminds me of being Christlike of all the trials and tribulations we face in the market place and how we as believers should conduct ourselves where ever we are in the market place and have positive or negative influences around us. Believers are to remain faithful to the Word of God. And not be faithful to any social system of economics, or political system.
References:
Blomberg, Craig L. Christians In An Age Of Wealth. p. 221.
Grunlan, Stephen A, and Milton Reimer. Christian Perspectives On Sociology. Wipf And Stock Publishers, 2001.
Harrington, Michael. The Other America: Poverty In The United States. 1969.
Lewis, Oscar. A Study In Slum Culture. 1968.
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