A sampling of standard financial advice given repeatedly to Americans, particularly American Christians:

#1-If you are a good provider, you will have half a year of cash on hand at all times for emergencies (for stuff that might break, that will wear out).

#2-If you are a good provider, you will pay someone you don’t know who promises to pay for other emergencies (for stuff that might break, might get stolen, might get destroyed in a storm).

#3-If you are a good provider, you will spend more money—pay someone you don’t know who promises to pay when you get sick, pay a lot when you die (be sure you die with enough), take care of your family with money.

#4-If you are a good provider, you will sacrifice to save lots of money for ‘someday’—someday when you plan on not working to make a living.

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+ If the universal expectation/mandate to be a “good provider” is not sufficient motivation to buy into the above list of “you will . . .”, then fear will always motivate—fear masterfully manipulated by those who gain financially when you buy their ‘products’, and by those who have themselves bought into this system so deeply that they have become zealous religious advocates to spread belief and dependence for this powerful and growing American idol of materialism.

(The complexity of that sentence is only surpassed by the complexity of their sales presentations.)

+ Materialism—(the religion of what money can buy)—
—first “you want this and this”—
—then “you need this too”—
—then “you must get this now, or else BAD could happen”.

+ And this masterpiece of motivation is finalized by well-tuned ‘selections’ from the Bible that fit the American financial system.
All this so American ‘christians’ can fit in to enjoy American prosperity, claiming biblical stewardship—never touching the rest of the call to follow Jesus.

“If anyone comes after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”

“If this world’s goods increase, do not set your heart on them.”

“Sell what you have, give it to the poor, and come follow Me.” When Jesus said that to a rich, young man, he went away sad, because he had a lot of stuff.

“Come out from among them, and be separate [different].”

There’s a boatload more from the Bible that challenges and condemns this materialism everywhere around us.

The advisors seem to have sewed-up-and-secure answers for every question, so they don’t have to consider, re-consider, what they want to believe—what fits in the American dream economy, so “you can have it all”, just as long as “your heart is right”.

But your heart IS where all your treasure is.
“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
You can’t manipulate those words of Jesus to mean anything else, to make it fit in America today.

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(some more prevailing advice)
+++ Whatever you do, don’t count on somebody else (neighbors, friends, family, church, somebody you know).
We know that’s how they used to do it in the old days, but it doesn’t work that way today.
It wasn’t dependable enough—we have all these systems and programs today that guarantee the money when trouble comes—even “the full faith and credit of the federal government” makes sure you’ll get what’s coming to you.
(But all these ‘set in stone’ promises hinge on continued booming of the American economy—and increasing debt of the American government to prop it up—so we can keep postponing a crash.)

+++ All the promises in the Bible aren’t good enough, that say God wants to take care of us, that He will take care of us, that He wants all the credit for taking care of us.
And besides, you better have a good job, or find a better one, that pays for all this—and it does cost, a lot, to be “a good provider” and cover what’s expected of you.
Thank God you live in America, where you can make enough money.

+++ All the prevailing financial advice is more that just advice.
It’s so pervasive, it’s expected, without mention or allowance for the ? % of people without the resources for assorted insurances and retirement portfolios and ?reserve savings?
“Budget better to eliminate things so you can spend the money on what we say you should.”

+++ Living “paycheck to paycheck” means you’re doing something wrong.

+++ Revise or avoid Bible verses warning against laying up treasures on earth—focus on success, stashing all you can while you can, getting advice on making it bigger.
And that is precisely ninety percent of conversations advising Christians.

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WHAT IF . . .
What if you give away what you are stashing away ?
What would God do with that ?
What would God do with the person who did that ?

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One more recent comment from a prominent christian advisor:
“We want to get rich slowly.”
And a verse to back it up:
“Cast your bread upon the waters,
For you will find it after many days.
Give a serving to seven, and also to eight,
For you do not know what evil will be on the earth.”

“We want to get rich . . .” immediately brings to mind an extended Bible passage with those words. I will close with this:

“Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

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