August 22, 2006

• Spending Less!

  BEWARE!!!! If you are an Christian living in America this message may cause extreme uneasiness!

  
  

  In my quest to cut expenses I have come up with a startling conclusion! I know you can hardly wait to hear! Are you ready? Okay, here it is!

  
  

  SPEND LESS!

  
  

  Okay, so it’s not an original idea. I realized this past week that my ‘shopping days’ have been greatly minimized over this past year and because of it I have gained some valuable lessons . I was thinking about how I used to go to Walmart and bring home a carload of STUFF. Literally!! Useful STUFF! STUFF that helped with organization and bottles of STUFF to make cleaning easier. STUFF for the grandchildren! STUFF for my children! STUFF to make my home pretty! (Do you get the idea here?) I was spending a LOT of money on all of kinds of STUFF. But, this past year my hand has been forced to cut back more and more because of our budget, cost of gas and inflation. I’m beginning to see that I didn’t need all that STUFF.  As a result I have more time to spend on other STUFF! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!)

  
  

  I have a dear internet friend who is playing the ‘depression game’. She and her husband are pretending they live in the depression and whenever they think they NEED something they remind themselves of this fact and then find ways to do without, make do or come up with another alternative. I’ve played this game off and on lately ever since she told me about it. I’ve tried to run my ‘wants’ through this grid of thinking and amazingly enough I’ve found that there is very little that I really need.

  
  

  Many write about a simple life. The simple life can either mean a ‘back to the farm’ life or a life of less consuming. I love the ‘back to the farm’ movement but it’s definitely not simple when it comes to the time it involves or the expense. But, living on less.. wanting less… making do with …. buying less … spending less…. being content with what you have… now that is simple!

  
  

  Think of the time you save … less to put away… less to organize… less to dust…less to clean…less to think about… less to pack when you move! Which gives you more time to concentrate on God’s commands in Scripture to share the Gospel, make disciples, love your husband and children, keep/guard the home, study His Word, pray, use your gifts in the body of Christ and on and on the list can go.

  
  

  I remember reading that K.P. Yohannan (Gospel for Asia) and his family began a practice of cutting back on their expenditures years ago in order to support missionaries. They did not have a big budget so they began to simplify their life by cutting out things that were not absolutely necessary. Chewing gum, daily newspaper, sodas,etc. (Elisabeth Elliot spoke about this ,too).

  
  

  I remember some years ago my husband and I were wanting to do the same thing as K.P.  We began working towards this goal and then slowly the tide began to change. We began ‘entertaining’ ourselves more and buying pretty much anything that our eyes wanted. Little by little things flipped around and slowly it became more difficult to give to the Lord’s work because we had used up our budget on other STUFF.

  
  

  So, possibly the Lord is lovingly disciplining us by cutting back our income?  I don’t see this as a bad thing. It’s made us reconsider everything that we purchase and make better choices.  We’re slowly getting our focus back where it should be by learning to be content with our wages and focusing on God’s priorities. God has sovereignly assigned the amount of money that He wants us to live on. Possibly, if we are struggling to make ends meet we may have some expenditures that are not necessary? It’s my responsibility to be found faithful by staying within the boundaries of what we earn and to spend it in a way that brings glory to Him. God says that He has given us an abundance so that we can have an abundance for every good work.  (2 Cor. 9:8) If I am maxed out on credit cards and always spending my extra cash on things for my home or my family then the chances are I won’t have extra to give and to fulfill this command.

  
  

   The Lord is such a kind Father and so tenderly watches over all our ways. (Pr. 5:21)  He knows exactly what His children need and disposes His blessings to fit that need! Whether an abundance or less, we can always trust that He has our best interest at heart.

  
  

  
  Phil 4:11-13 – Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
  

  
  

  1 Tim 6:8-11 – And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
   For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
  

  
  

  Heb 13:5 – Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
  

  
  

  Luke 3:14 - Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”

  
  

  2 Cor 9:6-8 - But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
  

  
  

  
   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  • 1:10 pm
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