Perhaps you’ve seen Dave Ramsey’s relatively new home. The 13,307-square-foot sprawling mansion sits atop a Franklin, Tennessee, mountaintop like a solitary medieval castle. The financial guru is quite literally living as “King of the Hill.”
At first thought, one has to wonder how someone who preaches the virtues of frugality and expounds Christian principles in his financial teachings can feel comfortable living in such an ostentatious residence.
But then again, Dave Ramsey has worked hard for his money. He’s not a fly-by-night scam artist or Wall Street banker receiving multi-million dollar bonuses despite tax payer bailouts.
Ramsey has taught millions how to live below their means, use cash to avoid debt, and save for a rainy day. These are the lessons that he pounds home in his Total Money Makeover book and in the Financial Peace University programs run at hundreds of churches across the country.
Some may say we have no right to judge how people spend their hard-earned money. This is America, after all. If you make it, no one should have the right to tell you how to spend it.
And wealthy Christians seem to have no problem flaunting their wealth. Creflo Dollar, leader of World Changers Church International (with an annual budget of $70 million), is also no stranger to extravagance. As Businessweek reports:
“Indeed, Pastor Dollar, whom critics have dubbed Pass The Dollar and Cashflow Dollar for his ostentatious displays of wealth, is not shy about his success. He owns two Roll Royces and flies the country in a Gulfstream-3 private jet.”
His members might argue that this is adequate compensation, hard-earned rewards for leading people to the salvation of Christ. It is a sign of the blessings the Lord has bestowed on their spiritual leaders.
One could make the case that they should get paid just like any other leaders of multimillion dollar enterprises. What right do we have to playa’ hate? Who are we to tell the likes of Dave Ramsey and Creflo Dollar how to spend their money? But as Christians, shouldn’t men like them be held to higher standards when it comes to spending money, especially when they tout Christian principles as part of their empire building?
While they may believe they are simply displaying the manifestations of God’s blessings, this display can easily come into conflict with God’s messages of humility. The last I checked, Jesus wasn’t known for sporting a $350,000 Bentley on his way to Jericho.
How can a leader teach lessons of humility when he’s traveling in private jets? It’s not just kids who have role models. We all subtly internalize the examples of spending and wealth epitomized by those who stand at the pulpit every Sunday. Our definitions of success are often defined by the material “blessings” we see others flaunt.
Many of today’s wealthy Christians may have forgotten that we are but stewards of the wealth God has entrusted to us. Multi-million dollar mansion and expensive automobiles may not exactly be the best uses of “God’s money.”
We should not forget that Christians have been charged with stewardship of the Earth and its resources as well. Does the private jet fuel needed to transport pastors from destination to destination and the natural resources required to heat Ramsey’s massive 13,000 square foot mansion represent good stewardship of natural resources?
But, perhaps I’m being too hard on our wealthy brethren in Christ. What do you think?
Should wealthy Christians who promote Christian principles to amass their wealth be held to a higher standard on how they spend their money? Do we have any right at all to criticize their spending?