A moral-based economy

One of the recent fears voiced by economists is over the drastic drop in consumer spending. This is a bad thing, they contend. Consumers are cutting way back on how many times they eat out. They are delaying major purchases for cars and appliances, and overall looking for ways to save cash so they can pay their bills and reduce debt.

When I read in the newspaper how evil reduced spending was for the economy, my inner moral voice rebelled. Something is wrong with the logic here, I protested.

When my family has too many bills to pay, we cut back on expenditures, save up and pay off our debt. It’s a sound way to manage one’s financial affairs. It keeps one out of hock to predatory creditors. Why would it be any different on a national level? I asked.

The economists reason that less spending, translates into fewer products purchased, which means less jobs to produce those products. That is bad for the economy. Granted, people need to work to earn money to pay their bills. But when spending more money than one has is advocated as a virtuous act, something is wrong with the reasoning. A fundamental change is needed from the ground up when morally unsound practices are preached as healthy for one's well being.

How to remedy this error? I wondered.

I look to Jesus for guidance.

Jesus lived in a Spirit-based economy. His primary motive was not to earn a monetary profit, but to live a spiritually productive life.

An economy motivated by pursuit of monetary profit above living moral and spiritually sound principles, is going to advocate unsound practices, like “It’s good to spend beyond one’s means.” Seeking the ends of earning a profit above all else, compromises morals to get there.

It seems that one way out of this financial conundrum is to make the pursuit of sound moral and spiritual living the number one goal above earning a monetary profit. Put seeking spiritual profit at the top of the list of desirable achievements. The money needed to pay bills will still come, per God's law of on-going provision, but vital principles will not be compromised on the way.

I don’t know how many years, decades, or centuries it will take for mankind to learn the value of putting spiritual goals above purely monetary goals, but the laws of God will get us there someday. It’s inevitable.

Won’t it be invigorating to wake up one morning, and read on the front page of the newspaper, “Morals at a record high today!” or, “People growing spiritually at record pace…” or “Time spent in prayer on the increase!” These are indicators I could get excited about…

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Jesus Christ