Kingdom Economics | Less is More

Kingdom Economics is the idea that we don’t treat our finances and resources like normal people, but that we deal with our money different because of Jesus.  Instead of looking like “normal people” when it comes to our money, we should look like “Kingdom People.”  Normal people don’t have any margin and normal people don’t have any savings.  
 
39% of Americans only have $5,000 or less in savings.
45% of Americans don’t have $1,000 in savings for emergencies.
60% of Americans don’t have a retirement account.  
 
These stats show that so many are mastered by their money.  We aren’t able to live on a budget because if something breaks or something happens in life we don’t have a way to avoid more debt. We keep digging a deeper and deeper hole.  We lack the ability to say no, which causes us to aquire more stuff instead of saving.  This is our second Kingdom Economic Rule:
 
Less is More
Our inability to curve our appetites for more has caused us to get further and further behind in our finances, making us look like normal people. How can we become ok with the idea that less is more?  How do we get our spending under control so we can focus on what we give not what we get?
 
Proverbs 30:7-9 | Prayer not to be Poor or Rich
This Proverb says we should be praying that we wouldn't be so poor that we have to steal to provide for our family, but not so rich that we would forget our dependance on the Lord.  Both break God’s command and heart. There should be a balance in our finances, where we learn to be content.  We are content in what the Lord has provided. We work hard to provide for our families, but not so hard that we just bury our resources.  

Philippians 4:10-13 | Learning to be Content
Paul says that he has learned to be content in all circumstances.  Notice he says this is a learned behavior, meaning that it doesn’t come naturally.  It is something that takes work and he says in verse thirteen that he has strength to be content with a little or a lot – God is still good.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 | Ruin and Destruction
Paul says being content is a Christ-like characteristic.  He goes on to say that those who have fallen for the trap of always wanting more have falling into “ruin and destruction.”  That is many of our stories or the story of many we know.  The desire to chase after, collect, and spend on more has led many astray.  
 
Simplicity  | We live in a complex word and the remedy isn’t more, but less.  It is simplifying our lives, not collecting more things.  We can learn to pay cash for things.  Cash allows us to slow down and save, but also time to process our need for it.  Simplicity also calls us to declutter- finding value not in more things, but less.  We can live simply because less in more.

Satisfaction | When it comes to being content it isn’t just simplifying but also satisfaction.  Our identity can’t be in the next thing.  King Solomon said collecting more was like chasing after the wind – you are never satisfied.  We often have more because are trying to calm our soul through creation instead of listening to our Creator.  We are made complete in Christ not with more.  
 
Big Idea: Kingdom Economic Rule #2: Less is More.  When we learn to be content in whatever we have, we are free from the bondage of more.