Money, the Tremendous Taboo

A new study shows people are more inclined to talk candidly about their weight than they are about their money. And we all know how much people like to converse about their excessive pounds! I guess money matters weigh even more heavily on people’s minds.

It’s not surprising to hear people consider discussing their finances off limits – apparently a tremendous taboo, just tremendous. (Remind you of anyone?) We don’t mind gossiping and grousing about how much money other people make, but as for how much we make, that’s privy only to our accountant at tax season, or maybe the attorney when it’s time to draw up our will. For everyone else, it’s “none-uh yo bizness!”

A man I mentored years ago was remarkably open. He confided with me about the pros and cons of his marriage, professional challenges, and personal struggles he dealt with on a regular basis. But when I asked, out of curiosity, how much money he made, he balked: “Well, that’s really personal, you know. I never talk about money.”

For many of us, money
falls into our "No
Trespassing" zone.

His response surprised me. He’d been transparent about virtually every other aspect of his life. And it wasn’t like I was asking him to hand over his wallet or checkbook. If I’d asked him about his weight, he probably would have told me without hesitation. But when I broached the subject of money, I’d stepped over the line.

It seems there’s a bit of a Scrooge in each of us, something that wants us to say, “It’s mine, all mine,” when it comes to our financial resources. Therein lies the problem. We think it’s ours, but if we believe the Bible, it’s not. It’s God’s. He’s the owner; we’re just the stewards or managers of it.

To dispel any doubt about that, we can consider 1 Chronicles 29:11-12, which declares, “Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.”

Money – and our attitude toward it – has always been a problem. You might recall the rich young ruler who approached Jesus and asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” When Jesus cited some of the commandments, the official answered, “All these I have kept since I was a boy.” (Pretty brazen claim, if you ask me.) But then the Lord ventured into taboo territory: “When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me’" (Luke 18:18-22).

Like most of us, this man, outwardly seeking the path to eternal life, inwardly was arguing, “It’s mine – all mine!” And predictably, he walked away.

In his book Grace Notes, a book of devotional readings, author Philip Yancey quotes an unnamed pastor who said money issues can be addressed by three questions:

1. “How did you get it?” (Was it earned honestly, or in some illegal, unethical or immoral manner?)
2. “What are you doing with it?” (Hoarding it, squandering it, or using it to benefit others?)
3. “What is it doing to you?”

Then Yancey describes Jesus’ attitude toward money, about which He spoke more than nearly any other topic: “As (Jesus) explains it, money operates much like idolatry. It can catch hold and dominate a person’s life, diverting attention away from God. Jesus challenges people to break free from money’s power – even if it means giving it all away.”

Those are tough words, but how we perceive our money – or lack of it – truly is revealing. As Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). That’s a good question for each of us to ask ourselves: “Where is my treasure? Where is it…really?”