Everything Goes, But Not Everything is Beneficial

This week, we published our very first Stewardship Conversation segment on YouTube and we started off answering a really awesome question that has got me thinking more about the specific places that I spend my money. 

The question we answered was “Should Christians stop shopping at stores that have taken an unbiblical stance to political and social issues?” 

When God created Adam, He gave him something very unique. He received free will, so that he could make his own choices according to his own free will. God did not control Adam’s actions.

The Fall occurred because Adam and Eve used their free will to listen to Satan. Nevertheless, the way of salvation was made by Jesus Christ with that very same free will.

Free will is good and bad news for us. Having free will does not mean that we can do whatever we want without suffering the consequences, because even though we have a free will, we are still responsible for the choices that we make. We can choose to sow whatever we want, but we cannot choose what we will reap.

In 1 Corinthians 1:23 we are given a small glimpse into this reality. Paul tells us that, yes, we have the right to do anything, but not everything we choose to do is beneficial. As we decide where to spend our money, or how to make any money decision for that matter, we need to ask ourselves what kinds of seeds are we sowing? 

While God will not smite you down for shopping at stores that support unbiblical stances, there are also consequences. They may not be consequences that directly affect you, but they may affect the general population, or other people across the planet. 

So while I shop at places that offer low prices for their goods, I receive the immediate benefit of saving more money. However, the money I spend there may go to support the lifestyle that the company is promoting, such as cheap labor to make those goods! Or the company may use the proceeds from my purchase to fund social or political issues I may not want to support. 

I will be the first to admit that when I received this question I was a little embarrassed. I felt like I knew the right answer to it but when I took a look at my own shopping trends, I was definitely not living out what I believed to be right. 

There are always ways we can improve our money management systems. We may realize down the road that the way we’ve been doing things really isn’t the most beneficial. A good rule of thumb to live by is to do good for those around you. 

Your Friend, 
Katie Jones