Stewardship 108
Jay Link, a former pastor and the founder of Stewardship Ministries, once got an email with a subject line: “You can live on less when you have more to live for.” This is someone who chooses to voluntarily reduce his/her current lifestyle. Link says that to choose to live on less, there would have to be a change in one or more of three areas.
1. A Change of Perspective – Matthew 13:44-46 – Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then to his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” There’s an old riddle that explains this – “Do you know how to get a bone out of a dog’s mouth” – “Offer him a bone with more meat on it.” We will live on less when our perspective gives us more to live for.
2. A Change of Priorities – When given a choice between two options, our list of priorities kicks in and we usually choose the highest one of the list. For a person to decide to live on less will require a radical reordering of existing priorities and this person will see that there is more to live for.
3. A Change of Purpose – Have you ever looked at your wealth and asked what am I going to do with this? Did God give us excess material possessions to increase our lifestyle or increase our Kingdom impact? Did God provide us with surplus resources so we could live a rich lifestyle or so we could be “rich in good deeds.” (I Timothy 6:18) II Corinthians 8:9 says, ”For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” The probing question is – If Jesus who was rich became poor for us so that we might become rich, what does He intend for us to do with those riches we have gained from His poverty?
You can live on less when you have more to live for. We should all humbly consider where we are and are our priorities aligned with the perspective, priorities and purpose of Christ.