Is Our Financial Problem Really a Spiritual Problem?

"It's not a financial problem, it's a spiritual problem", uttered my new pastor as he stood before our congregation on a summer Sunday in June, 8 years ago.

Our church had been suffering from years of not generating enough money to meet our budget. We had relegated our responsibilities to everyone except ourselves.

These words from our pastor still today reverberate in my mind as I read and hear the latest reports on our economy. Stock markets in disarray, scams being exposed daily, homes being foreclosed at a record pace and our neighbors are losing their jobs, not to mention their retirement funds.

What did our pastor mean when he said it’s a spiritual problem?

Definition of Spirituality

Spirituality is defined as “concern with the things of the spirit”. We think of our spirit as that which is inside us that helps us to discern what’s right from wrong.

When we hear the word spirituality we immediately think religion. We think of them as being mutually inclusive because our religion dictates, usually how we think and react to our spirituality. Although, Quaker author and educator, Parker Palmer reminds us that “you can educate the heart as well as the mind” so if we hear the voice of our Lord in Jeremiah 17:10 ‘I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind” we are reminded how important our spiritual relationship is to our life.

Religion is usually expressed by groups of people during worship. Spirituality is an individual process by which we see ourselves aligned with God in relationship by being in his spiritual presence. It’s this individual spirituality that helps us find the peace and strength that we need to survive rough times. My church got derailed in their finances by not seeking spiritual strength but opting for intellectual means instead. In 1 Peter 2:4 it say’s “…you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house”. Instead of the individual members seeking spiritual help they tried to resolve the issues by using worldly methods, which led them to powerlessness over their problem.

Causes of our Economic Turmoil

The economic problems started in September 2008 with the sub prime mortgage market, which allowed loans to be made to higher risk customers.

Oil prices are fluctuating back and forth, gold is at an all time high and unemployment is hovering around 8% on its way to 10%. We can’t keep up.

Now we have unregulated markets and unmanageable lives, which leads to powerlessness over the recession. Materialism has its finest hour. We lose all means of control over our lives. The need for more is everywhere as everyone tries desperately to crawl out from under the rock. According to the AP Press Wire close to 800,000 individuals were let go by our largest corporations in February 2009. March was down around 593,000 still a lot of struggling people just like you and I.

It happened so fast!

Benefits of the Spiritual Life

The spiritual life gives us the state of mind to make tough decisions so we can survive the economic devastation. We must according to St Theresa of Lisieux, “look inside for answers to outside frustrations”.

It is the spiritual life that connects us to the original source of all creativity. Only in search of a better way are we able to come up with answers. We now are returning to what gives us peace, conscious contact with a power greater then ourselves. We become open and aware of spiritual power. It is our faith in this creative power, which gives us a sense of peace that goes beyond all understanding, an enables us to come away with answers.

Upon polling our congregation we found that we were weakest in providing help to those in need. This creative thinking helped us to strategize ways to help others which helps to attract more giving members to our congregation because we are following God’s spirit which resides in us. My, oh my, we are looking inside for answers to outside frustrations.

As we reached this position of peace, truth flourished and open communication brings the real problems to the surface so that they can be dealt with and removed from our lives. As these issues are resolved we will see manageability return and with that financial success.

We now look further at the ethical issues as good behaviors replace bad ones. In the book Alcoholics Anonymous it states, “if an alcoholic fails to perfect and enlarge his spiritual life through work and self sacrifice for others he could not survive”.

Exactly the church’s problem we were in fact very self-centered rather than looking out for others.

Yes, it’s hard to believe the toll that fear and selfishness takes on our everyday lives and the destruction that mounts. Father Thomas Keating, a Trappist monk and founder of the Centering Prayer movement, reminds us “ There is something about suffering that tells us who God is in a way that nothing else can”.

You will experience an increased sense of fulfillment, contentment, and a strong sense of belonging as your spirituality grows. Our experience helps us to the point that we can’t help but share our newfound spirituality with our neighbors to help them in their quest for truth. There is not a better time to concentrate on evangelistic strategies, as everyone is looking for answers to improve their lives in this terrible recession.

We also see that truth and justice prevail but that doesn’t mean we now have a job, that our homes are safe and our stocks start to gain back ground that just a short while ago were sporting huge loses.

Our God is with us so we are not alone in a positive spiritual environment.

This is a promise from our God in Deuteronomy 32:6 in which Moses state’s “…for the Lord your God goes with you, he will never forsake you”.

We now learn to live with less. Success is now measured based on who we are and what we have done, rather then on some monetary scorecard. Also false illusions about our lives all but disappear as we begin life as it was meant to be lived, in the care and love of our God, not on idols we have devised to make us feel better and rationalize our incorrectness.

Truth tells us that our passions displace our pain. Our treasures, whatever form they take, are definitely were our heart is in this time of economic recovery and we need to change that to God.

It is important that your relationship with God is cared for and maintained in a spiritual manner. God is happiest with you when you are paying attention to Him and the relationship He wants with you.

Action You Can Take Right Now

First locate your bible and find a favorite verse. Read it carefully and methodically over and over. Concentrate with your eyes closed on that verse, Become still and quiet. This is how you meditate and become aware of the presence of God.

Second pray continually and ask God to show you His way to survive this recession. Be quiet and listen for His answer.

Do this everyday as you would to foster any relationship. You will only need about 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes in the evening to start your daily meditation but you can increase it as you wish.

Start with asking specifically for God to show you exactly what He wishes you to do at this time. Thank Him daily for his faithfulness.

James Finley, a Trappist Monk, say’s “Spiritual reading, discursive mediation and prayer prepares our heart for contemplation. Contemplation is a state of realized oneness with God”.

When you and I have this realized oneness with God we become one and in effect are the body of Christ because of our spiritual singleness of purpose through our relationship with God.

As we learn to walk and be in God’s presence we experience the renewal of our mind as we try to become Christ-like and this in turn helps us to see with the eyes of our heart.

What do we see? Miracles! You see things that could only be the handy work of God. When this first happened in my life I experienced the wonders of the birds singing full songs, the beauty of the mountains and the splendor of a waterfall. I saw people changing their lives and I saw people dying in darkness. I also heard God talk to me and experience what it’s like to be obedient. Everyone has a different experience I think, but everyone has a life changing experience.

What Happened at Our Church

Just as we have described, truth and justice did and still does prevail in the form of unity and hard work at our church. We now have our finances in a manageable state during this time of economic turmoil.

The big story is yet to be told as we have learned that our spirituality needed to be in perspective to allow our religious group to breathe and grow.

So as we wade through the problems the recession brings, remember to look spiritually for the answers to how you should react.

Jesus said, ”Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”.

Cite:

World Book Encyclopedia

Christian Meditation, James Finley, Experiencing the Presence of God, a guide to contemplation

The Bible, NIV Study Bible

American Public Media, Speaking of Faith, 12/11/08 interview with Parker Palmer

Alcoholics Anonymous, 12-step self help program for alcoholics, AA World Services, New York