Recently, I've been thinking more about the divide between the materialistic culture that we live in and the extreme poverty in other countries (and even across town). I know as a Christian, I'm commanded to have compassion and be generous to those in need. But, what does that look like?
It seems insufficient to me to give a small percentage of what I make to missions and relief, when I can afford to live a very nice lifestyle. It has me wondering if I need to be making some sacrifices for the sake of being generous to others and helping to spread Christ to the nations.
I've always raised an eyebrow at Christians who seem to be pursuing monetary gain at the expense of being able to support missions & relief. But, what makes me any different from them? Sure, I may not have as big a house or expensive stuff, but I still have nice stuff, have 2 cars and pretty much am able to have what I want, when I want it. I'm thankful that God has blessed me financially, but I know that it's not just for my own enjoyment, but to ultimately glorify Him through a thankful attitude and a generous heart.
So, I've been thinking lately about what I could do to simplify my consumption and be able to give more away. I'm thinking of ditching the digital cable... hard to spend $40-50 bucks extra a month when you watch TV a grand total of (maybe) 4 hours a week. I've also been toying with the idea of consolidating down to one car. I love my new car and it's a lot of fun, but I can't help but think how much better use I could put that money to... supporting missions/relief, investing, etc. I'm still just trying to think things over and figure out how to best honor God with this area of life, realizing that it's only one part of the bigger picture.
To my blog readers, I certainly welcome suggestions.
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1 comment:
Funny that you mention the digital cable b/c I recently gave that up for my gym membership - ha. I think it's awesome that you are considering making those kinds of changes in your life. To whom much is given, much is expected. That's a hard thing to balance when we work hard and want nice things that we feel like we deserve, but so many people are less fortunate. I think if God finds He an trust you with small things, then He blesses you with much bigger things.
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