A few weeks ago we studied Acts 3 together. We talked about how Peter and John restored the crippled man’s dignity, by looking directly at him and asking him to look directly back. As I think back about the study, I’ve sort of decided that “Throwing money at the problem won’t work.”

We have this idea that throwing money at something that looks like a problem, could eventually be a problem, or already is a problem. How did this come into a christian world view and somehow supplant prayer and/or actual manpower. We treat money as a spiritual currency, when its prayer and action that should be our spiritual currency. I can for sure say that I am a miser of action and probably a pauper in regards to prayer, both in the negative sense. I am a miser and rarely spend my action and energy on something worthwhile. I am a pauper in that I do not have a storehouse of private prayer to pour out and spend on those around me. Money is easy to give, because we are told, money, mammon, can become an idol / god in our life, so I feel proud of myself when I give it away or spend it on a good cause. In giving money, I can often relinquish my responsibility of it’s result, because I can say that I gave it up. I’m not saying money is not important, but I am saying that it would be more powerful if the money we give is just the tip of the iceberg that is made up of prayer and personal action.