Money

i can’t think of many more polarizing topics for people to talk about than money.   so let’s reaffirm our friendship and talk about it anyway.   over the next few days,  i’m going to give you some of my thoughts.   don’t run.

if you’ve listened to me during the past ten years…or read what i’ve written over the past three or four years…you’ve probably heard some of this.   it might not hurt to hear it again.

in the midst of really healthy, bro to bro, deep, committed, godly friendships, there are still some subjects that are almost completely off limits in our conversations.  for instance,  even when we know that a couple is struggling in their marriage, we have a “don’t ask, don’t tell” relationship.  it is not socially, or even spiritually, acceptable to ask, “hey, how’s your sex life?” or “are you being sexually satisfied?”.  are you kidding me?!  we’d rather watch a couple go down in flames before we bring that subject up!!  but real friends aren’t afraid to wade out into deeper waters.

we also stay away from ever offering our help or suggestions to parents,  even if we see mistakes being made.  we con ourselves into believing that it’s none of our business,  because we don’t want anybody evaluating our parenting, either.  so the fear of risking our friendships  paralyzes us and we sit by and say nothing.

that brings me to the money issue.  other than sex and parenting, there isn’t another topic that causes believers to wig out more than talking about money and giving.  it makes grown men and women shrink in fear and otherwise spiritually mature followers of christ react with defensiveness, self-consciousness, or even some form of retaliation against the church or church leadership.

so why is this?   why is it so hard to talk about?

#money