The free market economy believes in liberty. This is what I have heard from economists that support the free market. This is true. As a matter of fact, the whole name of this type of economics means exactly that. Defenders of the free market are against protectionism. Protectionism is led by the government. It is basically placing restrictions on trade by using sales taxes. A person that affirms to have faith in the free market, but is also in favor of protectionism is most likely to be inclined for protectionism, or doesn´t understand either.
There has been so much conflict about this subject. Defenders of the free market have tried very hard to teach, and convince the public about the truth of protectionism and the free market economy. Many times, and I could say most of the times they have failed, this I think has to do much with what I explained in my past essay. (Patriotism or Idolatry). I can also add the fact that it is very difficult to break the structures that have been taught, and established in our lives, and minds since the day we were born. However, analyzing the free market economy, and understanding what protectionism is, I have come to the following conclusion.
I have been exposed into understanding various economic principles. Communism, Keynesianism, and the Free Market economy for those I can think of right now. Nevertheless, I have found one same result in all. Ego.
No matter the differences they might have, or the good or bad things they might have, they are all impulsed, created, established, and function by human ego. I believe this is the reason why there is so much controversy into finding the perfect economic way. Everyone seems to find something wrong in each. This is also why I believe that the defenders of the free market economy have failed so many times into persuading human beings of it being the best economic option. Although, it is based on freedom, it is not a freedom that frees all, but a freedom that focuses on doing whatever you can to be successfully rich. While communism was made in the attempt to prevent resentment, and have the same economic wealth. Of course, this is only but a dream in the communist way, and pure control. Keynesianism favors deeply the government. I believe it could be taken as a new form of politics, and it almost never favors the public or seeks its good. So, then which is the economic way to go? What form of economics can we find that acts on justice. A justice that is free, not controlled, and brings good and wealth to all the people. This is a very good question. One many would answer in the incredulous way of saying, “That´s impossible”, or “It doesn´t exist”.
As unbelievable as it may sound, there is one. One we can find in Luke chapter 6 verse 38:
Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.
This is a bible verse that has been misunderstood in many ways, or it hasn´t been understood at all. One of the things that I have found in almost everyone is the lack of release of oneself. One of the things that costs us the most is giving. This is why many would say that a perfect economic path is impossible. What I have found in the people when they are asked to give something is denial, resentment, hatred, criticism, gossip, backstabbing, refute, disapproval, and most importantly ego. Almost everyone talks about the abuses that have been made in the subject of money. Though, this is true, if we are unable to release ourselves from this, then we truly have not been perfected in love, and still see ourselves as the most important beings that exist. Before I continue, I want to start with the beginning. This may be the longest essay I write, but I strongly believe that this subject is probably one of the most important in order to be truly free, givers, and sons of God.
God is the most perfect being that exists, and will ever exist. He is almighty, the owner of all, the most righteous, full of love, but He is also a deep giver. We can see this in John chapter 3 verse 16:
For God so LOVED the world that He GAVE His ONLY begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
This is by far the most well known bible verse that humanity knows, yet it is not understood. When we think about this verse, we usually think about us. How Jesus died for US. How He saved US. How WE have to believe in Him, but we never think about the cost. Jesus was not the only one that died for us, but the Father had to die to His one and ONLY Son, in order for us to go back to Him. We focus on the words “only begotten Son”, but we don´t see “For God so loved the world”. The first one to die was the Father. He gave us His most priced possession. What He mostly loved. Even so, we rejected Him, killed Him, but His love was so great that He gave it all. We can also see this plan in Genesis when God tells Abraham to kill Isaac. His only son. The son of the promise.
Genesis 22:2
Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
This was the Father showing that He would give His son. In order for Abraham to kill Isaac, he had to die to him first. You can´t kill what you haven´t died to. If Abraham would have chosen to love Isaac more than He loved God, then he wouldn´t of had been willing to kill Isaac. I want you to understand this, the love of the Father was so great, so beyond anything that He was willing to love us more, than His own Son. This is mind blowing. Even so, this is how we should love Him back. Abraham was willing to lose Isaac in such a way that he chose to jump into the emptiness, even when he had no control of the outcome. The Father was willing to lose Jesus, because Jesus came in the likeness of men. This means that He could have sinned just like us, lose who He was, and fail to accomplish what He had come to do. He was even tempted by the devil, in order to make Him to fall. Of course, He didn´t.
Philipians 2:7
But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
Matthew 4:1
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Sometimes God will ask us to give things, or do things, that will require us to jump into the emptiness without a parachute. Without having control of the outcome, and the situation. We will have to trust God, love Him more, and believe in Him in the same way Abraham believed in Him. Sometimes God has asked me to give things that I really love, and it has required me to release those things even from the deepest parts of my heart. This happens so that we can be free and grow in authority and revelation. Every time God asks you something it is to take you into higher levels in Him, and let me tell you that nothing in this world is more important and powerful than giving it all. Now, don´t misunderstand me, God will never take things away from you by force. He will never kill a family member, or leave you in ruin so that you can learn your lesson. God loves us all, and He wants the best for us, those things don´t come from God.
Part of serving God is giving it all to Him, and for Him. If we are unable to do this, then we are more attached to this world, than to the Kingdom of God. The bible says that we can´t be friends of God, and of this world at the same time. We have to let go of this world in order to receive the Kingdom of God. In other words, if you are not willing to give everything, then you have put your trust in this world, and therefore believe in the father of all lies, that is the prince of this world.
James 4:1-8
Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don´t they come from your pleasures that war in your members? You lust, and don´t have. You murder and covet, and can´t obtain. You fight and make war. You don´t have, because you don´t ask. You ask, and don´t receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures. You adulterers and adulteresses, don´t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealousy?” But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
2Corinthians 4:4
In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them.
John 12:31
Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out.
Giving is one of the essences of the Kingdom of God. Giving is loving God. Giving is being in the image and likeness of God. Giving is being from the nature of God. In the James verses that I placed here, we can see that we commit adultery when we love the world. We can also see that part from fleeing from the devil, is fleeing from the pleasures of this world. Those who give without measure know God. Those who give without measure understand God, and His ways. Those who give without measure have seen the Kingdom of God.
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Part of this purification is the letting go of this world, and entering into the divine nature of God.
Giving has to do inevitably with money. Money is a subject that almost everyone wants to avoid when it comes to giving. It is interesting to see that in the church when the pastor talks about prosperity everyone receives it. Everyone loves it. Everyone wants to hear about it. But when the subject changes from receiving money, into giving money, many people leave. This is because of the lack of compromise in the people today. It is easier to live in religion, shouting and applauding when it comes to prosperity, than giving it all like God did, and loving Him more than anything and our neighbor like ourselves. Christianity has taught the world that it is not necessary to give it all, as long as you sit in the church bench ever Sunday and give you weekly tithe. Christianity has become something comfortable where you can sin all you want, and everyone tells you, “but don´t worry God loves you”. We have been patting sin in the back, instead of saving humanity from the pits of hell. We prefer saying what the people want to hear, because we don´t want them to leave. With all these abominations, we are lacking the true power of God that converts people genuinely. We are lacking a powerful generation in God that will go to the ends of the earth, willing to die in order for the Kingdom of God to be established here on Earth. Instead, we sit down waiting for a rapture, and it is all about us, us, us, but don´t ask me to give it all, because the moment that you do, “I will leave”.
The youth is waiting to see something powerful. They are preferring the world, because at least there people live what they speak. All this youth leaving is not because of the supposedly nearing end of the world, but because of the lack of compromise from the church. Christianity speaks beautifully, but they don´t live what they speak. Instead, we see a Christianity full of sickness, scarcity, pornography, abomination, hatred, backstabbing, etcetera, and then we ask ourselves why the world is how it is. Do you not know that the condition of the world is the condition of the church? I have heard many speak of how beautiful childhood used to be, and how horrible it is today, but who do you think shaped today? The children from the past. Something tells me that they weren´t taught well either, or else we would be living in a different world. Now, I am not blaming anyone, I am just trying to make you see the truth.
John 8:32
You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.
The truth is that people don´t love God anymore. Salvation has been made something really easy. You can live all the sin you want everyday of the week, as long as you attend church on Sunday, and you will still be saved. What lack of fear of God. Yes, God is love, but He is also a fearful God full of zeal. Or do we not see in James chapter 4, that the Spirit who lives in us yearns jealousy? We must repent from our sinful ways, from the lack of fear of God, and we must go back into His nature. A nature that gives it all!
Giving it all may sound crazy, and stupid to most of the people today, but it is because of the same structures of ego that have shaped today. One of the things that are mostly lacked today is love. Nevertheless, a love that we see deeply rooted in people´s hearts is the love for mammon, including Christians. The bible gives a great emphasis to this part. As a matter of fact, the whole point why I am writing this, is because of the talk about money. Repeatedly, we see several bible verses that speak about money. One of the most clear that we can see is Matthew chapter 6 verse 24:
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Before this verse we saw that you cannot be a friend of this world, and a friend of God at the same time. We also saw that if we are not willing to give it all, then we are friends of this world. The same thing happens when we love mammon, and not God. God is a jealous God. He will not take the subject of money lightly. The bible is very clear, you either serve Him or mammon. As I said before, people that are offended easily when they are asked to give money are lovers of mammon. There has been such a lack of revelation when we speak about this subject, because of the unwillingness of giving it all. What I have learned about this subject, is that giving money in certain moments when God is doing something powerful opens gigantic heavenly doors. It is more than just giving money, it is about impacting your generation, and the next. It is about opening new ways so that the Kingdom of God can be established on earth. You might think, “I will do that with money? The Kingdom of God cannot be bought.” I am not saying that if you give money, you will buy your salvation or things like that. That is not right onto God. I am not trying to erase the power of the blood of Jesus that is the one that redeems us. What I am trying to say is that sometimes it is necessary for us to separate from the love for money, in order for great things to happen. God likes to do that, because He wants to see who is willing to give it all for Him, just like He did it for us. Who will we be loyal to? God or mammon?
One of the greatest doubts that comes to the minds of men when they here something like this is: “but it cost me too much”, “how can I give something that took me my life´s savings?”. The truth is that all this time their trust was in money, and not in God. We mention so many times that God is the owner of all, and that He gave us all that we have, but when it comes to giving it back to Him, we dare to say things like those. Is it really God´s or not? Is He really the owner of all or not? Then why do we give ourselves the credit of obtaining it? If we truly believe that God is the owner of all, then we will have no problem in giving Him what He once gave us. That is how we show that we truly are dependent of God and not money. That is how we truly show that we love God and not mammon. Who are we serving? What is our motivation? To be filthy rich? Or to serve God?
Each and everyone of us has to check our hearts in order to see where our trust is really at. However, if God has asked us something, and we do not give it, then we are idolatrizing ourselves, and loving mammon. Let us take insurance´s as examples. Placing your security there is loving mammon. When people begin to stay without money, fear, doubt, and anxiety begin to take control of their hearts. This is because they have been trusting their money, and not God. Looking at the price of a product in order to decide whether to buy it or not, is loving mammon. When you have money, and you feel safe, or with an identity, then you are loving mammon. Many sell things ten times higher than what they are worth. Others fill themselves with goods. They have one thing of a product, and then buy another one of the same. These people usually think: “If something happens, I still have this.” Instead of trusting God, they are trusting mammon. Not to mention, they are forgetting about the needy.
I don´t know if you have seen this, but even movies show that whenever a disaster happens, and stores are exposed to anyone, people even kill each other for goods and money. Most of the conflicts that we see today, are because of the love for money. Many people enslave others, because of unforgiven debts, others threaten others when they don´t get paid. The government, and the banks take everything away from people when they don´t pay. Unmerciful acts are being taking place everyday, because of the love for money. Most of the times it is low prices, and illusive discounts that convince the people to buy a product. We can also remember Black Friday, the day when many people compete even with violence, without caring about the other person in order to win the product. Bets are putting your trust in mammon, not to mention that going to casinos is loving mammon as well. (Their motivation is money). Trusting in your savings is also loving mammon. Though, these are things we see externally, the love for mammon is deeper.
Money talks. Money screams. The whole world guides itself by its voice. “Buy this, but what if I won´t have for that?” “Give this, it cost me too much, or I really like it.” “Save money, what if you don´t have for tomorrow.” Like these, everyday people hear and follow the voice of money in many different ways. Everyone wants to reach the rich society. People are envious of the ones that have more money than they do, because they have their eyes placed on money. The more money you have the greater you are. Their god is mammon. The more you have of their god, the more powerful you are. The power of the world is based on money. Money means power. While in the Kingdom of God, power is based on holiness.
Romans 1:4
Who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The holiness of Jesus was what declared Him to be a Son of God with power. We are declared to be sons of God with power by our holiness. This is the unification of our Spirit with His.
John 17:21
That they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me.
The reason why many people cannot see a perfect economic path, is because when they talk about economics, they put their eyes in money. Economics is taught with the focus on money. People teach that it is money. The truth is that you cannot find a perfect economic path when your focus and eyes are on money. This only means that you are serving money, and not God. People work for money. If everyone had money, nobody would work. This is because what impulses people is money. The difference begins when my focus changes from it being money, to it being God, and the love for my neighbor.
The majority of the people are not willing to give everything to God. It is hard to die to your ego and lose your life. Nevertheless, the whole point of following Jesus is losing your life, and giving it all.
Matthew 16:25
For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 10:37-39
He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loves his life for My sake will find it.
He who is not willing to give it all for God will not inherit the Kingdom of God. He is not worthy of Him. Salvation is by grace, but everything else must be conquered. The only way to conquer it is by losing your life for Jesus. Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden before they sinned. It was when they sinned that they lost everything. They loved their lives more than they loved God. They were willing to betray God, in order to receive what the devil had. This was the love for riches. The devil was the one in charge of managing the riches in heaven, and it was when he began to exalt the power of riches more than God, when he trusted in them, and thought he could be like God. The devil then promised the same thing to Adam and Eve when he told them they would be like God. They would then feel capable enough to control their lives, and be their own gods. However, this only led to their nakedness, and separation from God. This separation then made them like the devil. Full of fear, and death. The disobedience of Adam and Eve, caused the curse of the land. This means that now Adam and Eve would have to work the land in order to eat. As amazing as it may seem, it was the trust in riches, and in their own self, that brought the curse of scarcity. This is why God insists on giving everything to Him, including money. For this was what made man fall, this is also what makes man go back to Him.
Ezekial 28:13-23
You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. “By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones. “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrputed your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you. “You defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, and I turned you to the ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you. All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you. All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you; You have become a horror, and shall be no more forever.”
Isaiah 14:12-21
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ´I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit. “Those who see you will gaze at you, and consider you, saying: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world as a wilderness and destroyed its cities, who did not open the house of his prisoners?’ “All the kings of the nations, all of them, sleep in glory, everyone in his own house; But you are cast out of your grave like an abominable branch, like the garment of those who are slain, thrust through with a sword, who go down to the stones of the pit, like a corpse trodden underfoot. You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land and slain your people. The brood of evildoers shall never be named. Prepare slaughter for his children because of the iniquity of their fathers, lest they rise up and possess the land, and fill the face of the world with cities.”
Do you see how money is rooted in the hearts of the people? Sometimes people are willing to leave their child on the street, but if you ask them to give you their credit card they immediately say no. People care more about their money, than they care about their children. Frustration is the result of putting the eyes in money. The worship for money has come up to a very high point, that you are only considered to be successful when you have won money. Apparently, the unification of a family, the care for children and the old, marriage, and so many other important things have come into second place, and sometimes not even second. You can have all of that, but if you don´t have money you are a nobody, and a lazy person that doesn´t look after his family. The truth is, he who is looking more after his family, is honoring God more, than those who only seek money.
One of the bible verses that have been very misunderstood is the following:
1 Timothy 5:8
But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
When we read this verse we usually think, and are taught that a man must work in order to bring food for his family. The interesting part of this verse, though, is that he says he has denied his faith and is worse than an unbeliever. This tells me that there is more to the verse, than just bringing food to the family. Let me ask you a question. Which family is better fed? One who has natural food for the rest of its days, or one who is fed by the word of God daily? Part of providing for your household is not only natural food, but the word of God. That why it says that he is worse than an unbeliever, and has denied his faith. If he believes in God, but does not provide for his family the Kingdom, then He does not believe.
God is so wise, and great, that he chose to give it all for us. However, he asks us the same if we want to enter into Him. Giving is much more profound and deep, than just giving your tithe, and a small offering. That is something that does not cost us at all. A true giver is one that gives everything. A true giver is not afraid of losing his own life, in order to bless and love his neighbor, and firstly God. In the measure that we give, it will be given unto us. The only way we can know that our heart is not in riches, is when we are able to give ANYTHING that God asks us. It is easy to give a few dollars, but a true release in the heart is giving all your life´s savings. Jumping into the emptiness is part of being a giver. Do you remember the widow that gave everything she had? She ended up giving more than anyone else. This is because she did not have her heart in the riches, but in God. Her offering was so great, that she provoked heaven to see her. She opened the heavens in such a way, that she caught Jesus´s attention. Surely, the Father´s attention as well. I believe she had a great blessing after that. God honors our faith, and He honors when we give everything to Him without reserves, just like He did. He blesses in great way those who give.
Luke 21:1-4
And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widoe putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these our of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she our of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”
Do you realize how she gave it all? Not only did she give, but she gave all her livelihood! This is what God wants from us. He wants us to give everything to Him. He wants our complete heart. Not just a piece of our heart, but He wants it all. Do you also remember the rich man who asks Jesus how he should inherit eternal life?
Luke 18:18-22
Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ” ´Do not commit adultery´, ´Do not murder,´ ´Do not steal,´ ´Do not bear false witness,´ ´Honor your father and your mother,´ And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Do you realize how Jesus asks him everything? Sometimes we only focus on the commandments, but we forget this important part. Jesus told him to give everything to the poor, because he wanted him to defeat the love for mammon. If he kept loving mammon more than God, then he would have not been able to inherit eternal life. He first had to leave his love for money, and then he would be able to follow Jesus. This is the same thing for us. If we are not able to leave the love for riches, then we cannot follow Jesus and inherit eternal life. Otherwise, we would only be living a religion, and lack eternal life.
Now that I have said all of this, I can go back to the beginning of this essay. I have come to the conclusion that in order for there to be a perfect economic way, first we have to lose our love for riches, and truly trust God, love Him, and love our neighbor. This is the only way that we can be true inheritors of the Kingdom of God, and live in a true prosperous society that is driven by love, and not by money. When our economics is led by the voice of money, which lands in our ego, than we cannot live in a society that is truly free, not controlled, that brings wealth to everyone, and has true justice. I am not saying that we shouldn´t be entrepreneurs, or that we shouldn´t work, or that we shouldn´t work hard. All I am saying is that we must do those things with only one motivation, not ego or money, but love. Love is eventually the force that impulses us to give it all. It is what loses fear, and opens heaven. Love is more powerful than anything, and it can be resumed in one word, Jesus.
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