Scamming

If you could muster the courage to engage in the task and began to dig through all the piles on my desk, you might make a discovery that would cause you to believe I am making some big money.

On my desk are two cashier’s checks. They have several things in common. Both are made out to me. Both are written on reputable banks. Both are for amounts over $30,000.00. But the most interesting thing they have in common is that both are forgeries. Worthless. They look like real cashier’s checks but are just pieces of paper.

Both came to me through similar attempts at working car buying scams. Fortunately these scams were not difficult to see through. If you are interested I can tell you the story sometime. What I find noteworthy about receiving these checks is to what trouble some people will go to as they try and cheat a person out of some money. It takes a lot of time and energy to work a scam. Why not just get a job? Or expend that intelligence and energy in building a business. I wonder why is it that so many people find money and the things it will buy to be of such importance.

I am not talking only about con artists, scammers, and thieves. Look what we, the “honest folks,” will do for money. We do seemingly insignificant things such as not telling a cashier that he or she has given us too much change.  Some of us, without a second thought, will lie when filing our income tax forms, pad an expense account, or misrepresent an item we are trying to sell. How often do we lie as part of our job and believe it is okay because the boss told us to do it? We work hours that take us away from significant times with our families or keep us from worshipping God. After all, we rationalize, we need our job. That is how we make our money.

Have you ever thought about how we Christians act about money and possessions impacts the thinking of those who do not yet know God? Perhaps they have observed fact that our (Christian) attitudes about money are no different than their attitudes about money. Perhaps that lack of difference is part of the reason that many non-believers think Christians are scamming them when we attempt to share our faith with them. They may doubt our good intentions because, as they observe, being a Christian has had little practical impact on our lives. They can plainly see that being a Christian or going to church has not made much difference in how we (Christians) live, what we live for, what motivates us, our morals, our decisions, our passions, how we spend our time and money or what we will or will not do for money. We divorce as often as people who don’t claim a faith in God; our finances are as screwed up; our families are doing the same running around in circles trying to find meaning and fulfillment in life. What, they wonder, is the difference?

When they look at us the only observable difference they see is that we go to church on Sundays… sometimes. And who in their right mind wants to waste a couple of hours per week doing that? With our faith making little or no difference in our lives, why, they must wonder, are we trying to get them to be like us? Why would we want them to become Christian? Perhaps they come to the conclusion that we must be scamming them… that getting them to commit to Christ and the Church must somehow be to our advantage. Perhaps we receive a bonus check from the church for every person we can bring into the fold. Perhaps if we recruit them, we are then relieved of the obligation of having to attend church and they take our place in the pew. Maybe Christianity is just an elaborate pyramid scheme to make money – a huge Amway knock-off.

If these unbelieving observers are correct and having faith in God is as meaningless and non-life impacting as it seems, then it is ridiculous for us Christians to share our faith. Jesus addressed this issue in a letter he dictated to the Apostle John in Revelation, chapter three. He said, “I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold, you’re not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit. You brag, ‘I’m rich, I’ve got it made, I need nothing from anyone,’ oblivious that in fact you’re a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless. Here’s what I want you to do: Buy your gold from me, gold that’s been through the refiner’s fire. Then you’ll be rich. Buy your clothes from me, clothes designed in Heaven. You’ve gone around half-naked long enough. And buy medicine for your eyes from me so you can see, really see.” (The Message)

Wow, that is going to leave a mark. When I read passages like that, I smile. I smile because such passages remind me of the people I hear refer to Jesus as a spineless sweetie pie that always makes nice. Reality is, Jesus was a truth teller who was and is much more interested in seeing changed lives than in gathering groupies. Many of the teachings of Jesus have rattled my cage and made me think and have even brought change in my life.

In this passage Jesus calls his church (us) lukewarm. The worst thing about being lukewarm, stagnant Christians (Besides making Jesus want to vomit.) is that we give non-believers the misconception that being a part of the Kingdom of God has no impact on one’s life. And nothing should be further from the truth. Knowing God, really knowing God, can and should change everything about and in the believer’s life. And experiencing all that God brings into our lives is precious… worth anything… worth everything. Again, looking at some words from Jesus, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field—and to get the treasure, too! “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!”(Matthew 13:44-46)

Knowing God and being known by God can be a life changing, life giving experience. And it is priceless. We would do well to live like it is.

Copyright © 2009, William T. McConnell, All Rights Reserved