Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

The Jews had long believed in what we now call “prosperity theology”. Their concept did not make God into some kind of deified vending machine. They just thought that wealth meant being blessed of God and poverty meant being cursed. There did not seem to be any set cause of this condition it was more or less God’s random pick. They did not have TV Evangelist they could plant a seed with, (write a check), and somehow force God to pay off. The evidence of God’s pleasure was land, cattle, camels and sons. Daughters, not so much.

Then Jesus simply asked for daily bread. That seemed to be the equivalent of asking for an ice cream cone, a coke and bus fare home when some genie has given you three wishes. Really, we are just to ask for daily bread? No new Jet airplanes?

Give us this day our daily bread seems to indicate that the blessings of God are not things that can be stored in a barn but a daily relationship of gratitude. If we can’t be grateful for the daily bread, we probably won’t be satisfied with winning the lottery.

Jesus had a lot to say about how we are to relate to money and possessions. We ignore most of what He said and hope He was just talking about unattainable goals. He made it very clear that there are some major issues and decisions we must face when it came to money.

The first question is how do we have money and money not have us. Money is a necessity in our lives and so much of our well-being is tied up in attaining it and possessing it. How do we maintain a proper balance? Jesus said we cannot serve two masters we will either be mastered by money or we will be the master of money.

How can we keep from basing our very worth on how much money we have or do not have?

How can we have it and not feel superior to those less fortunate? Or feel like we should get special treatment because of our wealth?

The longer I live the more I understand Jesus saying it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle that for a rich person to get into the kingdom of heaven. I have seen money turn far too many people into selfish bullies flaunting their position and power. How then can I have money and money not have me?

It must begin with the recognition and acceptance that I am responsible for what I have. The Bible calls that stewardship. One day I must give an account for what I did with the blessings I was given.

The only way that I know to maintain the proper relationship to money is to conquer the powerful influence of greed, and the one thing that can help me do that is for me to become a steward. As a steward I am recognizing that all that I have is a gift to be used not a possession to be flaunted.

There is no way I would ever buy a lottery ticket. I am afraid I might win it and suddenly be responsible for being steward of that much money. I have a hard-enough time figuring out how to be steward of the little that I have. I also don’t want that many new kinfolks knocking on my door.

Then I must face the hardest question of all and perhaps the real question these words force me to face. When is enough enough? That is not an easy question and it gets harder as I age and wonder if I might live beyond my means, but it has always been the most needed statement I could face. When do I have enough? Must I be dominated by the drive for more and more for the rest of my life, or can there come a time when I can just relax and say enough?

I don’t know very many rich people who are happy. Most of the ones I know have more money than they can spend but are constantly driven to make more. It is a never-ending search for more.

Until I can put money in its proper place in my life and actually answer the question of, “When is enough enough?” I can never learn to be grateful for what I have or enjoy the bread I receive for each day. We either learn to be grateful for what we have, or we become victims of what we want.