The genecrite, first cousin to the hypocrite, is a problem I’ve seen in myself and all around the world lately.

It’s a fascinating development in this last decade and gathering steam going into the second decade of this millenia.  You see, we’ve always had had a problem in the world with hypocrites, those that say they represent one leader or belief or group, and actually live out something completely different, but recent developments have brought a frenzied wave of a new cousin.

Around the turn of the century, a firestorm of love and service began to blaze throughout the world.  People began to start organizations to help and serve people in record numbers.  The world appeared optimistic and things looked great!  You can read all about this in Gregg Easterbrook’s amazing book, written in 2004, called “The Progress Paradox”.

But in the last year, with the downward spiral of our economy and the overarching pessimism appearing everywhere, people still believe in giving, but it’s a different kind of giving.

Here’s how I do it.

I love to give and be generous, so I’ll invite someone out to eat for lunch, and I’ll pay for their lunch.  But what I wonder is whether or not I would be so generous if I were geting nothing out of it.  That is, would I just give that person $15 for lunch without me?  Or am I a genecrite?

A genecrite is a person who says they are generous (as I did above) and then will only give when they get something out of it?  A conditional generosity.

I will give money or gifts to my family if they come and visit me?  Genecrite.

I will share what I have with people I like?  Genecrite.

I will give to my church as long as they are making me happy?  Genecrite.

I will take someone to lunch, only if I get to do some of the eating?  Genecrite.

What about you?  Are you a Genecrite?

I spent some time chatting last night with a relative of mine who makes a part of his living in the world of finance.  She’s also a mobster.  I was informed of all the mess taking place right now with the banks and the economy and reminded of my own selfishness.  It’s possible that our country will be going through some real hardship for the next 10-15 years if the bailout bill doesn’t take place, and if it does take place, it’s simply a band-aid on a really scarred situation.  A cover-up in the name of keeping our way of life as-is.  Though financially Carie and I certainly have our stuff in order, I’m convicted by the unwise spending I have done at times, in the name of financial certainty.  And so my hope is two-fold:

1.  That during these times the church will step up and become “the church” we’re called to be.
2.  That I would make wiser decisions with my finances, in good times and bad.

People are always more important than money.

Just to letyou know, things are bad in the economy right now, and…

the price of oil is pretty high, and…

the price of food is certainly not going down, and…

our country seems to be in a state of unrest right now, but…

it doesn’t matter.

You don’t have to let your circumstances control the way you think or how you treat others or whether or not you feel joyful.

So smile tonight, and know that someone loves you.