I heard the other day that no matter how big the plate is that we Americans will tend to eat about everything on it. So, a strategy for weight loss is simply to use a smaller plate. What is that saying about us as people? Do we really have that little self-control?
Unfortunately, this behavior doesn’t just show up in our eating habits, but also in our spending habits as well. Most Americans would need to borrow money or use a credit card if they had an expense come up for more than $400. Do we really think our refrigerator will never go out? Why don’t we save for occasions like that? For many of us, we’ve never been taught how. So, we use this pattern: consume first, save second (what we feel we can) and give last (what’s leftover). What this makes of us is a consumer. We consume all we can as a first option.
Generous people flip this list, so it looks like this: give first (a set amount), save second (a desired amount) and spend what’s leftover. When we do this, we become planners. Also, giving first is a biblical principle found throughout Scripture, often with promises attached (Prov. 3:9-10).
What should we give toward? Here are my criteria: What am I grateful for? For me, that is easy, it’s the local church. The local church kept me through my life from making poor decisions and living with fewer regrets. Then, what breaks my heart? Again, I believe the church is the best agency to address the needs of humanity. When the church is firing on all cylinders, the hungry are fed, the naked are clothed, the lost are found and people are brought into the full life of Christ.
Take a look at your life. Are you just a consumer? God intended for you and I to be much more than that. If we really got ahold of this, needs would be met, and the world would be changed.
For a negative example, look at the story Jesus told about a guy in Luke 12:16-20.
Show your support, add your comment now...