God's Thrifty Extravagance

Jonathan Kopke -

In a word, paradox is what makes this book so special and interesting. Author Jonathan Kopke skillfully guides readers through God's many seemingly contradictory ideas regarding money in the Bible, and demonstrates that these dynamic paradoxes actually reveal God's truth to us. This cleverly written book encourages readers to re-examine their financial habits as they live in the dynamic tension of using God's money wisely.

Features and Strengths

Money Paradox.  Kopke contends that "there's nothing in the Bible that's more riddled with paradoxes than its relentless discussions of money." But because every word of Scripture is "God-breathed," Kopke insists that readers begin with a commitment to embrace both sides of every biblical paradox.

Understanding Paradox.  Kopke explains that when God expresses Himself in paradoxes, He's showing us that in most financial decisions we're not dealing so much with issues of "good versus evil" - but rather with questions of whether our approach to money is wise or foolish.

Ownership.  One of the often-repeated foundational truths of biblical stewardship is that "God owns it all." And from this starting point, we find a very mysterious paradox: "that God has absolute ownership over everything in creation, and He has given us unrestricted dominion over everything He owns."

Saving.  There is a fine line between saving and hoarding. The Bible, of course, addresses both topics, and Kopke says the distinction between the two isn't a difference in magnitude but in motive. Saving, he explains is "what we do when we worry that the hot water heater might fail". Hoarding, by contrast, "is what we do when we worry God might fail."

Debt.  In recent years, we‘ve seen a growing number of money management resources designed to help people get out of debt. But beneath this practical need lies another powerful biblical paradox that these resources mostly ignore. As Kopke explains, "one of the most dangerous aspects of easy credit is that it can help us get something when God has been blessing us by withholding it." Interestingly, the Bible speaks out repeatedly and very harshly about debt, but the Bible actually never bans debt.

Giving.  When it comes to giving, Kopke seems to indicate that we have set up a false paradox: that money is to be compartmentalized into the portion that "belongs to God" and the bulk of it that belongs to us. The clear message of scripture, however, is that all of our money belongs to God.

Spending.  Most money management books say the key to financial freedom is to better organize your spending. In other words, create a budget. God's Thrifty Extravagance, on the other hand, takes a different approach. Instead of trying to better organize your spending, Kopke challenges readers to better understand their spending. "The distinction between a need, a want, and a desire," he writes, "isn't based on the object we're longing for, but on the impulse behind our longing. It's the motive - not the merchandise."

Application.   After spending much time laying out a set of guidelines to help readers live in "the dynamic tensions among the Bible's paradoxical statements about money," Kopke warns that we'd be wise not to follow his guidelines too religiously. "When we partner with God to live within the guidelines of stewardship, success doesn't come from following the guidelines, but from following the Partner."

Things to Be Aware Of

Though "Thrifty Extravagance" is an example of a paradox, it is surprising that the word "paradox" was not used in the book title, because that is what this book is about and what this review tries to make clear. If the title is unclear, hopefully this review will convince you to check out this clever, insightful, and sometimes witty resource.

Available at: Amazon.com