Economics is a major topic of conversation these days and for good reason. I confess that I try to avoid the raging dialogue and have been fairly successful in my efforts. This week God gave me a glimpse of His divine economics and it took my breath away.
I was in a serious conversation with a woman who was sharing her struggles with relationships. As I listened it seemed to me that her desire to please God by caring for others might be a bit out of balance. In an effort to make her love visible to those around her she was extending herself to the point of exhaustion. She was overspending in the area of finances, time, energy and peace.
This woman is a committed follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and rests in his righteousness alone. He has bound our lives up together and created a Titus 2 relationship. In that context I felt led to speak to her about the bigger picture I was discerning. I prayed and ventured forth.
We spoke deeply and candidly and God blessed the conversation. I prayed that he would give me a portion of Scripture to make the concept clear. The words of Jesus in the second half of Matthew 19:19 came to mind, "Love your neighbor as yourself".
I quoted the verse to the woman and she came right back saying, “If I was going to love my neighbor or anybody else the way I love myself, it would be pretty bad.” I was stunned - first because her response was so quick and certain, then because I recognized the truth of her remark, and finally because I wasn’t sure what to say next. I called out to the One who had given me the verse and asked for help. That’s when I learned about God’s “reverse economics”.
You see, Matthew 19:19 communicates more than what appears in the initial reading. Yes, Jesus calls his people to love others the way we love ourselves. Love for others is meant to be predicated upon, built on, the foundation of our love for our own selves. Now before we go too far with this self love idea we need to consider the words of Philippians 2:4, "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."
Both of these verses set up a balance between two parties, an equivalency. In order for us to love our neighbor, we must first love ourselves. The expectation that God’s people will look out for the interests of others comes from the expectation that they are already looking out for their own interests. The precepts of these verses can be considered in reverse order. God speaks to the importance of taking care of ourselves while speaking against selfishness.
Those who have trouble recognizing that they have needs and/or that they should seek the Lord to meet them, and even those who find it difficult to accept that they have value as his creation are often unable to approach these verses as others do. Rather, they need to consider how well they treat those around them and begin to apply the same standards to themselves. The person who empties their pockets to buy endless non-essentials for others, but goes without basic necessities themselves is not following the biblical mandate. They are also doing harm to those around them.
Those who are constantly having their whims met and are rarely expected to contribute and/or demonstrate mature godly behavior are being given a false sense of the world. They are certainly not learning the truth of who God is nor his standards and expectations. When the inordinate support falls away as it ultimately will, the immature and irresponsible are open to collapse. Only the balanced biblical love relationship brings growth in grace – not selfish but definitely not selfless either.
God’s Word is rich and full. We can read it from Genesis to Revelation and back again and be refreshed every time. I pray that our Father, His Beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit bless you through the precious gift of Scripture.
