For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9
“In our materialistic society, it is difficult to know at what economic level to live. With whom do I compare myself? What are my expectations? What assets will help me better minister the gospel? What will I do without? How much can I give? What sacrifice will I make? Such choices are made on a day-to-day basis and, frankly, it can get pretty tiring to resist the pressures of our society to buy more and more and better and bigger. Everyone around us breathes such consumerism, even our Christian brothers and sisters. It is just exhausting to say ‘no’ continually or to have to stop and think about how to use money.
Why not take one step? Make one cutback, simple but radical. Make one choice that will mean that you step away from your peers. For example, skip the weekly family take-away meal. Drop the year’s subscription to the theatre. Get rid of some of your investments. Don’t buy new clothes this year. Walk more and use the car less. Forget the overseas trip. Stop buying [music]. Sell the holiday flat. Move into a smaller house. Then — and here comes the exciting part — take out your cheque book and give away the money you have just saved …
Cheerfully give away what you have so that God may use you as an instrument of his generosity. Such a lifestyle is radical. It is frightening, because we sense a loss of control over our lives. But it is, after all, in God alone that we put our confidence, and not money. Furthermore, we are to follow the example of Jesus who “though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9). Now that we Christians are indeed thoroughly rich let us give away our fading riches so that those who are poor in this world may become rich in Christ.”
Sandra King in “Not keeping up with the Joneses” in the Mattias Media Briefing dated 1 March 2000.
As we approach Christmas and the New Year, let us each think about one cutback we could make that would be simple but radical. If you are married, talk about this with your spouse. Do it. Then give the money to some facet of God’s work so that it helps someone who is poor in Christ become rich in Christ.
There’s likely no better testimony to our faith than radical, sacrificial generosity.