FreeTruth

One person commented after a recent post on materialism and true need, asking that I not back off from pressing you folks on this matter. I appreciated the openness, and have had God continue to press in on me. I've been mulling over the whole question of need and giving and related matters and came upon a John Piper statement that further rocked my world (it's from his book, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals):

Very few of our people have said to themselves: we will live at a level of joyful, wartime simplicity and use the rest of what we earn to alleviate misery. But surely that is what Jesus wants. I do not see how we can read the New Testament, then look at two billion unevangelized people, and still build another barn for ourselves [a reference to Luke 12:13-21]. We can only justify the exorbitance of our lifestyle by ignoring the lostness of the unreached and the misery of the poor.

In August, by the help of God I'm going to be doing a joyful austerity/simplicity experiment. Don't read this as anything really spiritual; it's more like a sincere experiment and learning lesson. Here's what I'm going to try to do.

I'm going to attempt to live for thirty days as close to bare bones and needs only as I can get. That'll look like one helping of healthy food, no hot showers(only luke-warm ones lasting only as long as it takes to suds and rinse), no Starbucks or Wawas coffee, no in-between meal snacks, no entertainment except what seems needed for family and relational benefit, no condiments on my food, or butter or half-and-half, paper backs instead of hard covers (if any books at all), no Ritas, no meals out (unless ministry or relationship required), etc.

I'm aiming for as close to wartime austerity/simplicity as I can get--just to see what it's like, and to see what I learn in the process! You see: the problem seems to be that unless and until we actually do without we never really learn what we can do without!

And besides, I've got a feeling that I'll learn some new things about the sufficiency of God and grace, as well as how I might be able to give a little more to alleviate the misery of a fallen world rather than build another barn.

Labels: Contentment, Giving, Materialism, Need, Wartime Austerity

Having defined need biblically as we did yesterday, we're brought to the question of significance; does this definition matter? Can I suggest three ways a biblical definition of need should affect our life?

1. It will neutralize our complaining. God has promised to meet our need, and nothing more. Therefore we have no real grounds for murmuring discontent when we are "deprived" of anything other than food and shelter. Also, if we think about such texts as Philippians 4:11-13 and 2Corinthians 11:25-27 we'll realize that even when God chooses to withhold physical need for a greater spiritual cause we have no reason to murmur.

Too often our wealth producees a sense of entitlement in far too many Amercian Christians. And an entitlement mindset yields discontented hearts which only a biblical doctrine of need can cure.

2. It will maximize our gratitude. Realizing that God has met our needs--and given a whole lot more--is easier to do when you define needs as He does. When we are mis-defining luxury and extra as need, we fall easily into ingratitude. When we see that anything more than food and clothing is luxury (and it is) then we feel overwhelmed with the mercies of God!

3. It will radicalize our giving. God gives us more money than is necessary to pay for our needed food and shelter, not so we can spend it on ourselves, but so that we can give it away. There may be some overstatement and absence of needed nuancing in his words, but I cannot help but believe that John Wesley's view of these matters is far closer to truth than is ours.

If I leave behind me £10 pounds, you and all mankind bear witness against me that I lived and died a thief and a robber...Christians should give away all but the plain necessaries of life – wholesome food, clean clothes and enough to continue their business. Anyone who keeps more lives in open, habitual denial of the Lord.

Friends: someone has said that while God ordains that there be rich Christians, he does not intend that there be rich living Christans. If the work of the church and its mission to the lost and needy both locally and globally is in want, and we are spending money on things we do not need, I cannot help but wonder what God thinks of it.

Before we spend money on anything beyond our basic needs we should at least ask ourselves and ask God: "What would God have me do with this money? After all, He's entrusted me with resources for a reason; am I fulfilling that purpose?"

I know there really are biblical qualifiers and nuances touching on this subject, but let us beware lest we miss the clear biblical mandate and allow it to die the death of a thousand qualifications.

If we are thinking biblically, we will give radically. People will see the cars we drive, the homes we inhabit, the food we eat, the decorations we do not have, the simple styles and clothes we wear, the gadgets we refuse, the meals out we forego, the fine landscaping we resist, the expensive vacations we say no to, and they will think: "These people are living for something (the kingdom of God), somewhere (heaven), and Someone (the Lord and Owner of All) different than everyone else."

Do they think that about you right now?

Labels: Contentment, Giving, Materialism, Need

Anonymous #3 spoke of not wanting to "build new rust piles" (what a vivid word picture!). I think we can be helped to avoid that futile and even sinful way of life by considering this thing we call need.

I'd like you to think with me about need: just what is it? Let's sift through all the things we have come to possess or desire or enjoy, and try to discern which of them is really need and which is extra. Let me begin by mentioning some of the Scriptures that help us define need as God does.

In Matthew 6:25-33 Jesus defines food, drink,and clothing as things the Father knows we need (Matthew 6:31, 32). This would seem to sharpen our focus when defining physical/material need (the kind of need I'm talking about here; spiritual need is another matter) to two basic provisions: adequate nutrition and adequate shelter(clothing is a form of shelter) to nourish our bodies' health and protect our bodies from the elements.

1 Timothy 6:6-8 lends support to this narrow definition of need. In this text Paul speaks explicitly of food and clothing as all we need for contentment. Basic and sufficient food to nourish the body and just enough clothes to cover and shelter the body. Nothing more is required. James 2:14-16 also seems to define need in terms of these same two basic provisions.

In Proverbs 30:7-9 the wise man asks God to preserve him from the kind of luxury that tempts us to forget God. Instead he asks simply for "the food that is needful". There's a parallel here to Jesus' encouragment to pray: "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). In essence this prayer says: "Lord we ask for nothing more than today's bread for today's bread is all we need."

All I'm trying to do in mentioning these texts is to help us define physical/material need biblically, as God defines it. And it seems clear that need is to be seen simply as enough food and clothing/roof shelter to keep me alive today (for however many todays God plans to give me). Read that again and give it thought.

To help you gain perspective let me list ten things I have enjoyed, used, and desired in the past 24 hours that I have not needed:
1. Television/internet for entertainment purposes.
2. Sweets (and the second hamburger I had for dinner last evening).
3. A hot shower (or any shower for that matter; a simple gallon bowl of cold water would have sufficed).
4. Sports (I really did not need for my Red Sox to beat the Yankees yet again!)
5. A razor (is it really necessary that I shave?)
6. My easy chair (this is a comfort, not a need).
7. My dog and the dog food she eats (this is a luxury, not a necessity).
8. My chiropractor visit (I really do not need relief from pain, though I do like it).
9. Toothpaste (I could have brushed with water only, and baking soda would do just as good of a job as Crest).
10. The fan blowing on me right now to cool me off.

Stop to think: none of these things is a need as biblically defined. How does this clearer perspective affect your attitudes; your expectations from God; your contentment quotient; your spending plans?

Now what I'd like to ask is that you comment and in your comments help us list many of the things we have enjoyed, desired, and used in the past 24 hours which we may have considered to be necessary or important, but which simply are not.

Go ahead, submit 5-10 suggestions.

Labels: Contentment, Materialism, Need, Priorities