Of Pies and Pie Charts
There is a thread that runs right through the Bible concerning men and beasts. When men fail to be wise, obedient stewards—as Adam did—they image the beast. Instead of shepherding, they tear and devour. God actually allowed Nebuchadnezzar to become like a beast so that He might resurrect him as a godly steward.
When you hear the word “economics,” if you don’t think of “stewardship,” your definition of economics is not the biblical one. The modern definition is much less about wise stewardship than it is about opportunistic tearing and devouring. What can I get away with? Hath God said…?
R. C. Sproul Jr. has a great book about stewardship called Biblical Economics. It is more about wealth creation than wealth distribution. Biblical economics is less about dividing up abstract pie charts than it is about actually making pies.
“Many misconceptions arise when the word “economics” is used, not the least of which being that economics is only about money. Noah Webster, in his 1828 dictionary put it this way in the first definition of the word “economy” : “Primarily, the management, regulation and government of a family or the concerns of a household.” Rightly understood, economics is about far more than managing your money, it is about managing your spouse, your children, your time, and your mind. Economics is a measurement of value, where people place their priorities. Biblical economics, then, is about placing value where God places value; esteeming what He esteems, desiring what He desires. In other words, biblical economics is about stewardship…
Families, especially Christian ones, need to learn, live, and exemplify this simple fact that economics is about far more than money. We need to understand that if we decide to watch a movie instead of cleaning the kitchen, we are making an economic decision. We need to understand that choosing Froot Loops over Raisin Bran at the breakfast table is an economic decision. We need to understand that the story of the rich young ruler in Luke 18 is an economic one. We need to understand that the story of Martha and Mary (Luke 10: 38-42) is an economic one, as is Jesus’ somber admonition about gaining the world but losing your soul (Mark 8:35-37). Economics is an intensely practical, and intensely necessary, field of study that has much to say about every area of human life.” [1]
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[1] From the book review on AV’s email list.
