"One day a distraught man rode his horse up to John Wesley (1703-1791), shouting "Mr. Wesley, something terrible happened! Your house burned to the ground!"
Wesley weighed the news, then calmly replied, "No. The Lord's house burned to the ground. That means one less responsibility for me." - The Treasure Principle, Chapter 3
"We want to be happier, living a life of flourishing, but we often chase both the wrong things and the wrong paths to get to them. Even more disturbing is the fact that we are often disappointed when we get the very things we think we want. We are generally pretty good at predicting whether something is going to be pleasant or unpleasant. We are lousy, however, at predicting the intensity and duration of our future emotional reactions to this event." - "Why are We So Bad at Predicting What will Make Us Happy, RadiologyBusiness.com
Upon reading Chapter 3 of "The Treasure Principle," you can literally feel the joy - more like unbridled glee - that Randy Alcorn has discovered in giving. It's a heightened sense of being able to not only contribute to the joy of others, but to literally feel God's pleasure in the giving. As Alcorn states, the feeling of joy in giving is not limited to Christians. Because all humans are made in His image, we all essentially work the same. We have the same biology, basic psychology....the same things benefit or hurt us. Because of this, non-Christians have reached the same conclusions that giving back and philanthropy ultimately offers the most lasting happiness.
But, I'll be honest. When I first heard that concept of God being the "owner" of everything, and us being his "money managers" it sounded disappointing. If I don't own it, I don't get the full power of making decisions with it. It also disturbingly implies I didn't earn it and despite any hard work, I'm not entitled to it. So what happens when we are the owners? Let's take a look at life through that lens. First of all, the full responsibility of our wealth would fall on us. And maybe we don't feel wealthy, but living in the US puts us at an enviable level worldwide. So full responsibility would mean unguided independent decision making. Well, how good are we at rationally making the financial choices that make us happiest? Do we ever buy on a whim? Hoard in order to feel safer and more prepared? Badly predict an investment? Bought something that instantly broke, or at least overestimated how happy that shopping spree would make us? I have done each and every one of these things and my guess is that we all have.
What God is offering us in being the "owner" is freedom. It means that He owns all of it, and He also owns all of our ability to create it. But he actually understands our psychology and loves us more than we love ourselves. And in understanding us completely, he offers us loving guidance on how to spend it. And when we lose a large investment, or a house or a job, we are not alone. I loved the reaction from John Wesley referenced in the chapter upon hearing his house had burned down. He simply said, "The Lord's house burned to the ground. That means one less responsibility for me." Wesley knew he had someone to turn to, who had provided for him once, and would provide for him again. Alcorn knew, even in the midst of an unfair lawsuit against him, that God would provide for him again.
In 2013, I had to learn this type of freedom in dependence myself. I had been working almost 9 years at a software company. With my job in a secure state, and having survived 2 rounds of layoffs, we felt safe enough to pull out of my 401K for a down payment on a house. To do this required the signature of our VP of HR on a form stating the security of my position. (Job loss after taking a 401K loan would mean a massive tax hit.) So the form was signed, and with this assurance literally in hand, we bought our house in September. In January of the following year, I got a call from my VP and HR while I was home sick informing me my position had been cut in the 3rd round of layoffs. Like Alcorn, I was certain that this would mean we would lose our house. I was afraid I would lose part of my identity. I thought I'd never find work again. And I doubted God had any greater use for this time in my life other than the tedious task of filling out job applications. I was wrong on all counts.
God knew we would immediately need me at home more because of a sudden illness in the family. God also knew I needed more time with my children. He knew that when I returned to work, I needed to be closer to home. If I were the money owner, and had full power, I would never have chosen this. But instead, we turned to Him and said, "Well, that sucked. What do we do now?" And of course, He had a plan.
That experience literally became a turning point in our marriage. We had concrete proof that God doesn't just say He'll pull us through - He actually does it. It is a long process, but I am slowly learning that the freedom of not NOT owning is better than the crushing burden of doing it all yourself. And in reading all the stories of joy in the giving, you can't help but want to experience more of God's pleasure in contributing to His work.
- Rebekah Arias