Discipleship and Personal Finance
If there was ever any temptation for me to just hone in on one of the seven pillars of excellence and run a ministry focused completely on that, the financial pillar would be the one. Catholics often lament about the mass exodus of people who were baptized Catholic running toward one of the many popular non-denominational churches in their area.
I, myself, went through about a four-year-long phase where I was seriously intrigued by such churches, especially Elevation church in Charlotte, N.C. and Transformation church in Tusla, O.K. I have read a number of books by prominent Protestant authors like John Elderidge, Dave Ramsey, and Gary Chapman. I still follow the wisdom and teachings of a number of these people. While I never left the Church and never intend to, I certainly still find value in so much of what these pastors and teachers have to share. They all, especially the three authors I listed, fulfill a very specific need in my life that is so often lacking in the messages we hear from Catholic leaders.
That hole is pragmatism. It’s practical wisdom. As a Catholic, I believe that the Church holds the fullness of faith, that is, the fullness of the Truth. I believe in the rich Tradition of Catholicism, Apostolic succession, and the need for the sacraments. But I do believe that modern day Catholicism, especially in the US, misses the mark when it comes to our responsibility to make disciples, which is why so many leave to places where they feel their “needs are being met.”
If you’ve ever listened to fallen-away Catholics turned nondenominational Christians talk about why they left the Church, the answer usually has something to do with feeling like “they got something from the services” they attended at the new church. Now, there are certainly some weak reasons why people leave. “I like the music over there” or “the pastor is really engaging, funny, and attractive” are some of the weakest reasons to abandon the Church that Christ Himself established 2000 years ago. But I do think there are some deeper, somewhat understandable reasons why people are drawn to these Protestant ecclesial communities.
To better understand where we fail in making disciples, let’s take a look at the way the GOAT, i.e. Jesus Christ, did it back in the good old days. You may not be a Scripture scholar, but if you’ve ever been to Church then you know that Jesus performed a lot of miracles. The Gospels are filled with stories of Him healing the blind, feeding the hungry, raising the dead, curing lepers, casting out demons, and attending to many other physical and social ailments that plagued the people He came in contact with.
Jesus would always take time to address and fix the practical needs of people before He began teaching. He knew that His listeners were more attentive when their bellies were full. He also knew that a man who was just given the gift of sight after 30 years of blindness would be one heck of an evangelist. But when you look at the way the Church often operates today, we almost always lead with teaching, followed by more teaching, often followed by judgement for not following the teaching.
We undoubtedly still have people today who have needs such as those that Jesus encountered. These physical, social, and spiritual ailments still plague people to this day. But we certainly don’t pass by as many blind beggars, lepers, and demonically possessed (at least the obviously so) as Jesus and His disciples did. This is largely due to scientific and technological advancements, also lessened by the wealth and prosperity brought forth by the beautiful, and sometimes flawed, combination of capitalism and democracy.
So what are the needs of people today? My theory is that the practical needs for people today are needs for wisdom in a world of knowledge. There is a thirst for guidance and direction. People want and need help in answering life’s most important and difficult questions. And yes, these questions can be things like: Does God exist? Why am I here? What does it mean to be a good person? But they also mean things like: How can I have a strong marriage and avoid divorce? How can I experience lasting joy? How should I manage my money? How can I be a good man? How can I navigate this complex, chaotic, and divisive social and political climate?
Most people that wander into a church, Protestant or Catholic, in the United States of America on any given Sunday aren’t looking to have their sight restored or their paralyzed legs healed. They are looking for the answers to these questions. And when we fail them, week after week, both with poor catechesis (which would keep them anchored in the Eucharist and Tradition if they had it) along with little to no practical guidance on how to live a good life, they look to find a place that will offer that.
Think about it. We spent almost 60 years teaching people a watered down version of the Catholic faith, then proceeded to just stop providing them with guidance on parenting, marriage, finances, evangelization, etc. and then we wonder why people leave. To me, it’s almost more astonishing that people, especially those who are poorly formed in theology, ever stay. If not for the grace of God, we would have all wandered off into a church, social group, or any other organization that would provide us with the answers to life’s questions, even if those answers were wrong.
Herein lies my love for the financial pillar. As you probably know by now, I was a convert to the Catholic faith as a teenager, so I never held the aversion toward all things Protestant that many cradle Catholics hold. Therefore, when books were recommended to me by mentors, family members, and friends I was quick to take them up on the opportunity to learn more about these important areas in life.
I still use John Elderidge’s wisdom in analyzing my life as a Christian man. I absolutely loved Wild at Heart and Fathered by God. These books serve as a foundation for a great deal of my philosophy and teaching on authentic manhood as I make my way through this world of “toxic masculinity.” Furthermore, Gary Chapman and The Five Love Languages (which I’ve read twice) have been a great gift not only in my relationship with Emily, but in many friendships and other familial relationships. Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover has been my Personal Finance 101 course in life - he has served as my first financial mentor from afar for over 5 years now.
I know this can come off a little critical of Catholics, but you know I’m all about facing reality. We don’t have terrible tithing rates and a divorce rate that’s equal to the nonreligious just because of bad luck and a change in culture. It’s because we fail to help people understand how to be good stewards. Stewards or our time, skills, and yes - money.
The fact that you’re reading this means you’re at least open to being a part of the change. And that change must begin with you and me.
