`Ten thousand died today because of inadequate food. 1 billion people are mentally retarded or physically deformed because of poor diet` (Ron Sider). That’s in a world where one of the two great commandments is to love our neighbour as ourselves. (The way we love ourselves is, of course, to provide instantly for our needs in food, clothing etc.)
What biblical principles can we use to evaluate our current lifestyle?
SOME BIBLICAL POINTERS
1 We acknowledge God as the Supreme Owner of our lives and resources (Psalm 24:1, 1 Chron 29: 14b).
2 As redeemed people, we are to submit to Christ’s lordship in every area of life (2 Cor 5:15, 1 Cor 6:20; Col 3:17). Our lifestyle must therefore be pleasing to Him ( 2 Cor 5:9).
3 Commitment to Christ implies a radical lifestyle. We are not to conform to the value systems of this passing age: to the standards of living set by society, and the advertisers in particular. Our minds/perspectives must be transformed and renewed (Rom 12:1,2).
4 Our lives are to be characterised by loving trust in our Heavenly Father (Matt 6:25-34). This frees us from anxiety and worry and enables us to seek first His kingdom and its righteousness.
5 We are God’s stewards, and therefore He expects us to use our time, possessions, talents and gifts wisely and creatively (Eph 5:15-16, Matt 25:14-46, Rom 12:6-8, 2 Cor 9:6-13). This includes systematic, generous giving. Christians should also support viable concerns in ecology and conservation, knowing that the Earth is the Lord’s and we are merely tenants.
6 We need to remember our neighbour and their need. Otherwise we shall fail to obey the basic commandment of loving our neighbour as ourselves (Mark 12:13, Gal 5:14). God cares for the needy, poor, and oppressed (eg Psalm 146, Isa 58:3-7, Jer 22:13-19, Amos 5:21-24, James 5:1-6). The rich man was condemned for by-passing Lazarus the beggar at the gate (Luke 16:19-31). Indeed, neglect of the poor is punished eternally, in Matthew 25. (Schumacher points out that one American consumes as much resources as 50 Indians, and western Europe and Japan are not far behind the US.)
7 Our lifestyles ought to reflect our status as pilgrims, travelling light to the Eternal City (1 Peter 2:11-12, Hebrews 11:13-16). Our attitudes to things, work, relationships should be assessed in the light of the Lord’s imminent return (2 Peter 3:11-14, 1 Thess 5:6-22.) Simplicity in lifestyle is always a mark of pilgrims. We the transients will seek to live uncluttered, unweighted lives, and curb covetousness by thriving on necessities and not indulging in excess. Paul outlaws covetousness as idolatry, alongside immorality (Eph 5:5). We thankfully enjoy God’s good gifts (1 Tim 6:17-19); we share these gladly with others.
8 For a group bible study, discuss the alternatives of allegiance and lifestyle in Matthew 6:19-34. How do these determine our priorities?
TURN IT INTO ACTION…
1 What practical steps can we as Christians adopt (a) individually and (b) collectively in meeting the needs of our hungry neighbours?
2 `Advertising constantly convinces us that we really need one unnecessary luxury after another. The standard of living is the god of today’s America and the adman is its prophet` (Sider). Discuss the Christian’s response to a consumer-orientated society where the accent falls on soft and comfortable living.
Bishop John V Taylor recommends that the way to face advertisers who seek to manipulate or con audiences is for Christians to initiate joyful resistance movements: `We must try to live by the divine contrariness of Jesus. We need a rapidly increasing minority that is entirely counter suggestible, a minority that calls the bluff of the trend-setters` [the `influencers`, to use today’s term], `is a dead loss to the advertising agencies and poor material for the careers advisers. We must not wait for all Christians to be persuaded of the need for this, neither should we waste our time designing a single rule of life for those who are so persuaded. If we are trying to create a climate of social non-conformity we must avoid moralising like the plague. Our need is for men and women who are free with the freedom of Christ, free to ask the awkward questions that have occurred to no one else, and free to come up with startling answers that no one else has dared to give.` He suggests three slogans to combat joining the inflationary rat race:
The price is too high!
Who are you kidding?
You can’t take it with you!
Slogans to shout at the TV perhaps – can you improve or add to these?
3 Our lifestyle can best be worked out, corrected, confirmed in the context of body-life. The Christian community that is open and submissive to God’s word enables us to share our common life in Christ which includes both the spiritual and material resources. Koinonia = fellowship involves participation and sharing at all levels of life.
`Christian fellowship meant unconditional availability to and unlimited liability for the other sisters and brothers – emotionally, financially and spiritually. When one member suffered, they all suffered. When one rejoiced, they all rejoiced (1 Cor 12:26). When a person or church experienced economic trouble, the others shared without reservation. And when a brother or sister fell into sin, the others gently restored the straying person (Matt 18:15-17; 1 Cor 5; 2 Cor 2:5-11; Gal 6:1-3). The sisters and brothers were available to each other and accountable to each other` (Sider). How can our fellowships become communities of sharing where we can discuss openly things that really matter, discuss family finances, help evaluate each other’s annual budgets, and where tips of simple living are shared?
4 And how does all this affect (a) my time, (b) my budget, (c) my gifts and talents?
I’m grateful for this important guest blog to my old chief Chua Wee Hian, who was the IFES global general secretary and had a huge impact on my own life! Wee Hian gave a version of it at a UCCF student conference; here are a few of the student responses:
It’s so hard to grasp that we may have the money to buy a luxury but not the right.
All our possessions are God’s; so we must bring them to Him and say, `Why have You entrusted this to me? What do You want me to keep of this?`
Our giving is too often not prayerful, but sporadic and unplanned.
If you can stop someone dying of hunger, and you don’t, isn’t that murder?
We must lose the sense of possessing. We must learn restraint!
We mustn’t conform to society’s lifestyle (or that of materialistic Christians!) We haven’t the right to an ever-rising standard of living.
But we don’t want people to have a permanent guilt complex. `Giving to others` matters, not obsessively `giving things up`.
LIFESTYLE TOGETHER…
All this should be taught in our churches. (Starting with tithing.)
Meanwhile, let’s share our vision – eg in conversations about prices.
It can be easier for students. Shared student houses give a good chance for experimenting in lifestyle. A student fellowship can have a speaker on lifestyle; then we could explore budgets in small groups.
We need to re-examine the cost of an evening out, expensive meals etc.
There could be more concern for do-it-yourself in the Christian community. The more gifted in our churches can help the less gifted in each field – plumbing, carpentry, car maintenance – with the money being sent away that’s saved. That means making the talents of e.g. an accountant known. Team effort (eg decorating) saves money.
We could have cheap communal meals (which will attract non-Christians) – or even miss a meal a week – but being sure to send the money away!
Advertisements con us into choosing between two things we don’t need. They play on a lack of security: people fill a vacuum by buying. People are judged by what they have. So ads create coveting, make us aim at a `standard of living`, not closeness to God. We must resist this brainwashing by Bible study, by using our minds critically. We must expose ads by chatting about them, laughing at them. Our lives should show that luxurious living isn’t the key to happiness.
We can find a way of sharing practical tips on cheap and reliable shops, what’s the best value car etc. The trouble is we evade applications of all this! In discussions of lifestyle it’s easy to be critical. Let’s look at ourselves, not at others; as Christ emphasised, we MUST NOT judge. (We mightn’t be able to be good stewards of the things God has given to other group members; but maybe they are!) Let’s aim to encourage. There’s also a danger of pressure to conform to a new legalism. Remember the individual.
Sharing in Christian work leads easily into sharing possessions. This needs to be based on small groups.
Beware of an unhealthy dependence where there’s a lot of sharing: Paul warns about this.
We can start with small, like-minded groups. Or simply…
…STARTING WITH ME…
… starting with the needs where I am; the old, the emotionally needy. Get to know people’s needs.
We must choose our careers as people God has sent to serve. Maybe all Christian students should do a year’s full-time service before getting a job?
We must learn to distinguish what we need from what we desire. And what the West considers necessities may be luxuries elsewhere. (NB: What electronic gadgets do we actually need?) On camps you realise how little you need.
We mustn’t be compulsive buyers; we mustn’t buy on impulse. We should learn to WAIT, THINK and PRAY. Give God time to speak. We must be liberated from fashion, from buying goods because our others are obsolete, from buying the best rather than the adequate. We shouldn’t buy many `gimmicky` things, and `fasting` from luxuries can save a lot of money.
Then again it’s often better stewardship to buy durable things rather than the cheapest, worthless goods. Also, a `luxury` owned can sometimes save valuable time, and be a blessing to others, e.g. a car.
The trouble is if we own something expensive we don’t share because we’re afraid of it being damaged.
Let’s prayerfully set ourselves an amount of money to live on. And check regularly that we keep to it! Having saved money in that way, pass it on – don’t hang on to it!
All this is going to take a conscious effort.
EVERYTHING WE “HAVE” IS REALLY GOD’S: REMEMBER!
(For more of these resources please click on https://petelowmanresources.com/category/other-useful-stuff/ )
