Is it possible to live a simple life? What I mean by this is, is it necessary that my level of comfort increases proportionately with my level of income? It is all too common that the more money we make the more "things" we buy, and soon our lives are defined more by what we have in the garage or in our retirement fund and less by what we have
in Christ. Think about it along these lines: Do you remember living on less income than you have coming in now and being just as happy (if not happier)? Has it happened to you? It has happened to me. Let me explain how we got ourselves into this situation and why it is important to get out!
First is the "how." Simply put we have followed the American dream of prosperity. We bought into the lie that we deserve bigger houses and nicer cars. We have fallen prey to the envy monster and heeded the call of greed. Just take a look around and ask, "Do I really need these things, and when was the last time I used them anyway?"
A simple lifestyle is a lifestyle that doesn't evolve at the rate of our increase in pay. It is a lifestyle of contentment. In fact, it is interesting that when Paul wrote "I can do all things through him who strengthens me" he was talking about being content with what God provided (cf. Philippians 4:10-13).
Now "why" is it important to get away from chasing the American "nightmare" of more? Because the gospel is at stake. If we are greedy then the world will see no difference between their living and ours. Contentment is a powerful witness in a world that clamors after more! We must consider that the money God provides for us is not for our ever increasing pleasure, but for His ever powerful kingdom. Jesus' words are most appropriate, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21).
I'm still working this out in my life, but it is something God is teaching me.
Grace & Peace,
Scott
Looking at things through the right eyes changes everything. When we were young we experienced going to the grocery store as an epic journey, now it is a chore we must endure to feed the family. Vacation used to be the ultimate, white-knuckled, adrenaline pumping, fantasy encouraging adventure of a life time, but now it is a savings account busting, insomnia inducing, over eating encouraging, never ending long road trip. It is a matter of how we look at things--through what eyes are we looking. I have come to believe this is true with stewardship. Let me explain...
The word stewardship can conjure up all sorts of negative feelings in us if we look at it from the wrong perspective. We can see it as an anxiety inducing, piggy bank emptying, guilt trip. This way of looking at the subject is twisted. In the first place stewardship has less to do with money and has everything to do with discipleship. Stewardship is a responsibility to manage well what God has given to us, and God has given us more than just cash. We are to follow hard after Jesus with our whole life, not just our bank accounts.
In the second place our stewardship will follow our focus. If our focus is on the here-and-now then we will be skewed in our management responsibilities. You see, we will manage our time, our gifts, our love, our compassion, our money, our investments, etc. with an eye only on the temporal, not the eternal. The temporal is what can be taken from us, but the eternal is what will last. Paul write about how God "has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:3). Too often we think of the "blessings" in terms of good health, more money, bigger homes and nicer cars, but this severely misses the point of God's blessings. His blessings are with an eternal perspective and He wants us to get our focus there, not here!
So, what are we doing with what God has given to us? Are we being faithful with our time? Our giftedness? Our love? Our compassion? Our money? And when we look at all of this are we looking at it in light of the heavenly and not the earthly? Let's start looking at it through different eyes.
Grace & Peace,
Scott
One of the funnier commercials I enjoy is the one that uses the slogan: "Life comes at you fast." That message was illustrated audibly and visibly Monday afternoon (2-1-10). I was engrossed in some good reading on a passage in Ephesians when through the city's cacophony of noises I heard the unmistakable sounds of a traffic accident right out my window (you know...the screeching of brakes and a loud crash!). Well, that interrupted my day, and after calling 911 Amanda and I proceeded to do a running commentary of what was going on below us on Pearl Street. I don't think any of the five people involved in the accident was thinking their day would end like that.
For me this was a lesson on the unexpected and sometimes unwanted, and life is full of this. Yes, I plan out my day and try to stick to a schedule, but every once in a while the unplanned thing happens and changes everything. I have to be okay with this because I firmly believe in God's control of events and I equally reject fate. I am not saying that God causes bad things to happen, but He does control those bad things. Nothing takes God by surprise, and He knows just what I need and how much I can handle. God never says, "Oops," or "I didn't see that coming." What is a real comfort for the follower of Jesus in all of this is that God can turn even the most severe event into a life-changing episode for the good. Paul wrote,
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 ESV)
I look out my window and see the remnants of the accident: some shattered glass and plastic and the paint the officers used to mark the scene of the accident. As long as the paint remains it will be a vivid remind that life comes at you fast, but I can trust that God is working things out in my life for His purpose.
Grace & Peace,
Scott
