The Human Condition of “Undeservedness”

“YOU DON’T DESERVE SPIT! — Unless you can pay for it.”  Dave Ramsey says in one of his teaching sessions of Financial Peace University.  This quote would have came right at a time when any one of us may say, “I deserve a newer model car.”  Or “I’ve lived in a mobile home all my life, I deserve a custom built house.”  Or maybe even, ”I deserve to feed the kids happy meals because they won’t shut up, and I don’t have an ounce of strength to open a can of spaghetti-Os or make a PB&J.  The premise is, if you can’t pay for it, you don’t deserve it, no matter how bad a day or life you’ve had.

I’ve been dealing with this idea the past couple of weeks…swallowing it is more like it.  In today’s cause and effect societry we assume God is that way too. 

It’s how we grew up isn’t it?  The parents tell us to be quiet and behave and we do, so we don’t get yelled at or punished.  Well, how many of us work and get paid?  We are so used to “deserving” the things that we get, good or bad, most of the time we absolutely will not be denied.  Yet over the past couple of weeks I’m reminded that God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. 

Karen and I have been looking for a rent house, deciding we may be able to save more money living closer to my place of employment than paying for gas driving back and forth.  Yet our search has turned up empty, and my frustrations have been made manifest a couple of times because I’m ready to leave the place we’re in.  Honestly, all the places for rent we wouldn’t be able to come close to renting on a month to month basis without sacrificing some major “debt snowball.”  I’ll admit I’ve prayed (or whined), wondering why the Lord doesn’t just lead us straight to the house right away so we can start saving MORE money immediately.  But you’d be surprised at the thoughts I’ve had, ”Lord, my family and I love you, we try to worship you in all we do, don’t we deserve more than what we have?  When will you bless, Lord?  Won’t you please help?”  It wasn’t until later that I thought of Dave Ramsey and realized that none of us “deserve” anything unless we can pay for it do we?  

The bible clearly states the ”wages of sin” is death.  That’s what we all deserve when it comes right down to it – death and Hell.  But we would never be promised a chance at a loving relationship with God had it not been for Jesus Christ who ”paid for” our sins.  Only does belief in Him, His sacrifice, and His ressurection and repentence of our sin allow us to be redeemed to God.  Blood bought and “paid for.”  It’s something we can never buy ourselves, but it’s a gift, all salvation requires is our belief. 

This redemption is not automatic though, just as I don’t “deserve” an affordable rent house just because I’m sucking wind-we don’t automatically deserve Heaven just because we repeat a little prayer after Jesus Christ died.  There must be a recognition of what we, being human and sinful, deserve (Hell); and repenting of what got us there, our willful sin!  This is a truth that is left out of so many churches today.  Too often we see Jesus Christ death on the cross for us as something we have earned just because we’re alive and breathing and God would never send us to Hell.  Unfortunately most of us think more of ourselves and what we think we deserve never allows us to come to this point.  In the end, we are undeserving of God’s grace, but He gives it anyway.  Praise God he gives us the choice to be paid for, without giving what we truly deserve.

The Cost of a Wife’s Freedom Gland – 100 Bucks

For any who have taken the courses from Financial Peace University, or ever listened to “The Dave Ramsey Show,” you have heard Dave speak jokingly of the female’s “security gland.”  Dave states that when this gland tightens, it affects a woman’s face – becoming tight and twisted, showing the unsecurity she feels within.  A couple of weeks ago, I inadvertantly discovered my wife has a freedom gland.  This gland has NOTHING to do with security.

While taking the course last year, I thought surely I would be the “free spirit,” visualizing myself struggling against being held captive by a restrictive budget.  That budget being restrictive down to the zero bottom line was the only way we were ever going to have a better life, for God and for our family.  So I bought into this idea that the little guy could actually do something he dreamed of – with hard work.  I wanted to believe the little guy was NOT limited by his circumstances and he could retire comfortably one day, IF he wanted too.  

My wife followed my lead and our lives began to change, not overnight, but faithfully and steadily.  The more faithful we were, the more debt was paid off.  But we were gazelle intense - we were angry with our debt, we were putting every free dollar we had towards debt, and over time it began to wear.  With each month’s new budget, I could feel her resistance coming on stronger, she was having a hard time digesting that every dollar was going out the door with a purpose, but with little wiggle room.  She was patiently supportive, but I knew something was not right, and I refused to feel as though I was doing this without the love of my life for the next 2 years (the time it would take for us to be out of debt).

We talked and talked and talked some more; we even cried a little bit together.  We came to realize that she didn’t want money just to blow, she wanted to fix some things up around the house.  Money for the house, maybe for some paint, or bath towels, or just a few new shirts for the boys every now and then.  She also realized that I did NOT want to put any more money on major house projects for this place we will not be staying in forever and I would rather use that money toward debt, so we can get a NEW house.  So we agreed, she keeps supporting me in our debt snowball, and I give up $100 of my debt money to do whatever she wants to with. 

It was amazing the difference!  Last week, my wife ran into an old friend who is trying the “Dave Ramsey Diet” and she said she was having difficulty getting started…the budget just seems so tight.  My wife said, “I know what you mean, this is the first month we’ve done our budget and not cried afterwards.  It was a tremendous testimony of her faithfulness to me, and to our plans, and to her friend.  She’s cried to do this and KEEPS ON DOING IT!  Now, she’s freely doing it, with a good, supportive attitude that makes her beauty shine.  The freedom gland I discovered has relaxed, and all I did was give her a little wiggle room.  One hundred dollars…who would have thought.  It will take a little longer to pay off that debt, but it’s worth it to have the FULL support of my wife. 

You nerds who are gazelle intense, even if your spouse is supportive, don’t take advantage of it.  Let your actions speak louder than words.

Intensity Of Our Lord

Monday morning I woke up thinking to seek God; the Sunday School message I taught the day before suggested all Christians should do so.  We should all seek God with a gazelle type intensity with a fervor and passion that can do absolutely nothing but bring glory and honor to Him.  The problem was, it was difficult to find Him that morning. 

So immediately this story came to mind…

And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

1 Kings 19:11-12

The things that I have reflected from this passage gives me more of an idea of how the character of God is.  It amazes me that as the Lord passed by a wind went BEFORE Him.  I tried to place myself in Elijah’s shoes, standing on a mountain and knowing the Lord is passing by, but before He passes, chaos goes before Him, such a strong wind that rocks and mountains were torn in pieces!  Not only this unnatural wind, but an earthquake, and if that wasn’t enough -  fire!  And all of this goes before the Lord.

What an intensity must go before Him!  Then I realized this is the same God I serve.  And He is with me because I have faith in His son Jesus Christ.  My actions should reflect what a God I serve as well, the same Jesus who’s spirit is within me should be living the same type of intensity in my everyday world.  When this type of life is lived, people start to look, but they shouldn’t see God in all the zealousness and determination that His servants serve Him with, they should be able to listen and hear the still small voice that is behind it all – motivating and powerful.  It is in that still small voice that people begin to find peace and salvation, when they look BEHIND the wind, earthquakes and fire my life brings through the Spirit of God.

Our Reasons for Financial Peace

Last year my wife and I went through Financial Peace University.  This is a program from Dave Ramsey, who is becoming increasingly popular through television and radio media as America believes all the dramatic news about going into the days of deep dark depression.  Or at the least a recession.  I have my own opinions about that, but seeing as how I’m no financial expert, I will leave that for another posting at another time.

Our quest to be debt free, has a few ends in itself.  Some of the principles Dave teaches are starting to form the opinions and character of my wife and I.  It’s getting into us…we are sipping the kool-aid and starting to like it.  Here’s why:

First, we can’t even think about buying a house until we are debt free.  My wife, Karen, only works part time and my income isn’t enough to cover a house payment, car payment, and every other “payment” that comes standard in America’s world…not to mention phone or electric bill or whatever other utilities people pay these days. 

Second, social security is a joke.  It won’t be fixed from what I understand, it can’t be, and I refuse to allow my wife and I to be worried month after month…waiting on checks that may or may not be there and then it not being enough to live on or cover whatever medication we may need when we’re older.

Third, the Lord has placed a burden on my heart for the Banjara people of India.  Our communication is limited with these folk, and very few them have ever heard the name of Jesus.  There is a film ministry that we are contributing to right now.  This ministry currently is focused on buying a quality used sport utility vehicle and a projector that the Jesus film can be shown in remote villages in a language they can understand.  To be debt free means that we can be contributing WELL to this project and many, many of the Banjara people can come to know our Lord Jesus.  Then they can spread the news of the gospel themselves, telling the story and worshipping Christ as only the Banjara do.  My wife and I one day hope to contribute much, much more than what we are currently contributing to this mission.  It’s hard to do that when we’re funding the bank (who could care less about our well being or salvation).  We have a responsibility to spread the gospel, and this is the best way to do this with this particular people group.  I’ve made many friends with the Banjara people, and hope to make many more.

We’ve tested the wisdom of Dave Ramsey to see if there truly is any “financial peace” and we are finding that there is.  You know the wierd thing is, a lot of Dave Ramsey’s wisdom comes straight from the Bible.  Hmmm…the Word of God doesn’t steer you wrong?  Go figure.