Selwyn Hughes: Luxuries and Necessities

Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 1 Timothy 6:9

“It is sad how the longing for money can create a fever in the soul. It is not the possession of money but the passion for it that the Bible is against. These warnings are there because God knows that no one can live win this world without money. The more people have the more they want and not always for itself but rather for the sense of power that the possession of money gives. The luxuries of one generation become the necessities the next, and before long money fastens its grip.”

Selwyn Hughes in Divine Mathematics: A Biblical Perspective on Investing in God’s Kingdom (Surrey, UK: CWR, 2004) 21.

Think about the last line in today’s post in light of your own family. “The luxuries of one generation become the necessities the next, and before long money fastens its grip.”

I remember when I was growing up, my parents were greenhouse farmers, we had little money, but they invested it in what mattered, God’s work, a Christian education for their children, and people in need.

Rather than look at your parents or your children (depending on your age), consider your own life. What was it like for you growing up? Have luxuries become necessities?

How might choosing the way of simplicity and generosity in 2026 change your life and your legacy? The best way to ruin your kids is to aim to give them a better life. They need you to show them a better way marked by simplicity and generosity.

Whatever you try to give them, they will lose. Whatever your teach them to give, they will gain.

If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:17-18

“Someone has said that ‘having a good deal of money does not change a person, it merely unmasks them’. If a person is naturally selfish or greedy, money will simply show up those tendencies in a greater and clearer light. ‘An offering,’ said one writer, ‘is minted personality.’ We can tell a lot about the kind of person we are by what and how we give.”

Selwyn Hughes in Divine Mathematics: A Biblical Perspective on Investing in God’s Kingdom (Surrey, UK: CWR, 2004) 19.

Money unmasks us. It shows who we really are. It tells about our character and commitments more than anything else. What does your handling of money say about you? How might you want to mint your personality in 2026?

A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said. “How can I set this before a hundred men?” his servant asked. But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’” Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord. 2 Kings 4:42-44

“The more I have studied Scripture, the more impressed I have been with the Bible’s glorious illogicality as it relates to divine mathematics. Our human system of maths says two and five make seven. But there was one occasion in Scripture where two and five added up to 5,000. Jesus Christ too two fishes and five loaves and under what Frances Ridley Havergal called “His mighty multiplying touch’ the Savior was able to feed 5,000 people. And just to add to the point – 12 baskets of fragments were gathered up after everyone had eaten their fill! A similar story can be found in the Old Testament where God’s servant, Elisha, experienced a miraculous extension of 20 small loaves of bread which were able to satisfy 100 hungry men – with some left over.”

Selwyn Hughes in Divine Mathematics: A Biblical Perspective on Investing in God’s Kingdom (Surrey, UK: CWR, 2004) 13.

As you think about your giving motivated by the gift of Jesus on Christmas, look at what you have and in the words of today’s Scripture, “give it to the people to eat.”

A closer look reveals that the 20 loaves represented the first fruits of the crop of grain. This implies it was all the man from Baal Shalishah. That place was known in antiquity for having fertile soil.

Please, this year-end, look at the needs around you and look at what you have and consider how you might “give it to the people to eat. It’s the only way to see God work with glorious illogicality.

Or you can keep doing earthly calculations and miss the wonder of divine mathematics.

“The Gospel writer, Mark, tells us that many rich people threw in large amounts, but a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins worth only a fraction of a penny. As Jesus watched what was going on, He turned to His disciples and said: ‘… this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.

That must have caused some raised eyebrows among the disciples don’t you think? By what law of mathematics does a woman who throws two small copper coins into an offering box give more than those who throw in large amounts? Jesus gave this explanation:

They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything — all she had to live on.” Mark 12:44

Her giving was measured not so much by what she gave but by what she had left… it does introduce a whole new dimension into the matter of giving. When we give we need to focus not only on what we have given but also on what we have left.

Now, not only did Jesus sit over against the treasury in Bible days; He is sitting there still. But His purpose in sitting there, hasten to add, is not to criticize or condemn lout to help us evaluate the importance of our relationship to money. It is a solemn moment when we give of our finances with Him sitting beside us.”

Selwyn Hughes in Divine Mathematics: A Biblical Perspective on Investing in God’s Kingdom (Surrey, UK: CWR, 2004) 12.

Why celebrate divine mathematics on Christmas Day? Think about it.

Jesus celebrated because the widow held nothing back. That’s the message of Christmas. God did not hold anything back. Because of His great love for the world, He gave His one and only Son, Jesus.

And divine mathematics teaches us that we only keep what we give away.

The one who tries to save his life loses it. Only the one who loses his or her life for Christ’s sake, finds it. Notice that Jesus leads the way. He gave His life and rose again and became the source of our everlasting life.

So what did the widow gain that day?

Her generosity and obedience ensured that God would look after her Himself. We too can gain this. All we need to do is give like Jesus and the widow.

The safest place on earth is to entrust your life into God’s care.

It’s divine mathematics. The same math at work on the first Christmas. God did not lose in sending His Son. The widow did not lose in putting in everything.

Will you gain everything? Or lose everything? The choice is up to you.

One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:24-25

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23

“In the middle of winter when fogs and rains most abound they have a great festival which they call Exmas, and for fifty days they prepare for it in the fashion I shall describe. First of all, every citizen is obliged to send to each of his friends and relations a square piece of hard paper stamped with a picture, which in their speech is called an Exmas-card… And because all men must send these cards the market-place is filled with the crowd of those buying them, so that there is great labour and weariness…

They also send gifts to one another, suffering the same things about the gifts as about the cards, or even worse. For every citizen has to guess the value of the gift which every friend will send to him so that he may send one of equal value, whether he can afford it or not. And they buy as gifts for one another such things as no man ever bought for himself. For the sellers, understanding the custom, put forth all kinds of trumpery, and whatever, being useless and ridiculous, they have been unable to sell throughout the year they now sell as an Exmas gift…

This fifty days of preparation is called in their barbarian speech the Exmas Rush… But when the day of the festival comes, then most of the citizens, being exhausted with the Rush, lie in bed till noon. But in the evening they eat five times as much supper as on other days and, crowning themselves with crowns of paper, they become intoxicated. And on the day after Exmas they are very grave, being internally disordered by the supper and the drinking and reckoning how much they have spent on gifts and on the wine…

But the few among the Niatirbians have also a festival, separate and to themselves, called Crissmas, which is on the same day as Exmas. And those who keep Crissmas, doing the opposite to the majority of the Niatirbians, rise early on that day with shining faces and go before sunrise to certain temples where they partake of a sacred feast. And in most of the temples they set out images of a fair woman with a new-born Child on her knees and certain animals and shepherds adoring the Child…”

C.S. Lewis, “Xmas and Christmas: A Lost Chapter from Herodotus,” God in the Dock (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970), 301-303.

Happy Christmas Eve!

To help you decipher the message for us from my favorite professor, you need to know three things. One, Exmas represents the commercialized observance of Christmas that forgets about Christ.

Two, Crissmas points to the holy day as remembering the birth of Jesus Christ. Lewis changed the spelling to get the attention of readers away from Christmas or Exmas as he viewed it.

Three, the Niatirbians point the residents Britain spelled backwards. In plain terms, if most British observe Exmas, then Niatirbians live the opposite of society to embrace Crissmas.

So, on this Crissmas eve, let’s keep our focus fixed on celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, God with us, tomorrow.

Instead of overeating, let us give generously to someone who is hungry. And instead of spending too much money on gifts, let us give charitably to spread the good news of Jesus to the world.

Happy 6,000!

Today marks 6,000 days in a row that I have posted a Daily Meditation. When I researched 6,000 in church history, I discovered something very interesting. Read on.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 2 Peter 3:8

“For in as many days as this world was made, in so many thousand years shall it be concluded. And for this reason the Scripture says: “Thus the heaven and the earth were finished, and all their adornment. And God brought to a conclusion upon the sixth day the works that He had made; and God rested upon the seventh day from all His works.” This is an account of the things formerly created, as also it is a prophecy of what is to come. For the day of the Lord is as a thousand years; and in six days created things were completed: it is evident, therefore, that they will come to an end at the sixth thousand year.”

Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon (c. 180 AD), wrote the five-book treatise Against Heresies 5.28.3.

I did not know that the early church fathers, building on the words of the apostle Peter, taught widely that human history would last 6,000 years and culminate human history with the seventh 1,000 years, known as the millennium.

It makes sense. Those who hold to a six-day creation (myself included as each day is separated by an evening and a morning), would place human history at almost 6,000 years old. So what does this have to do with generosity?

Our generous God is working out His perfect plan. And even as God made Adam and Eve in His image at creation, He made each of us in His image to play a part in reflecting His generosity to the world (for as long as it lasts).

And as long as He gives me life, I will continue to encourage Christian generosity (and do these daily posts) to inspire God’s people to play their part in His unfolding plan.

One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:24-25

Good King Wenceslas looked out,
on the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about,
deep and crisp and even;
Brightly shone the moon that night,
tho’ the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight,
gathering winter fuel.

“Hither, page, and stand by me,
if thou know’st it, telling,
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?”
“Sire, he lives a good league hence,
underneath the mountain;
Right against the forest fence,
by Saint Agnes’ fountain.”

“Bring me flesh, and bring me wine,
bring me pine logs hither:
Thou and I shall see him dine,
when we bear them thither.”
Page and monarch, forth they went,
forth they went together;
Through the rude wind’s wild lament
and the bitter weather.

“Sire, the night is darker now,
and the wind blows stronger;
Fails my heart, I know not how;
I can go no longer.”
“Mark my footsteps, good my page;
Tread thou in them boldly:
Thou shalt find the winter’s rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.”

In his master’s steps he trod,
where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod
which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor,
shall yourselves find blessing.

J. M. Neale and Thomas Helmore in “Good King Wenceslas” a 13th century carol from Finland, translated to English in 1853.

Today marks ancient carol #8 of 8 and perhaps my favorite Christmas carol aside from “O Holy Night”. Why do I love it so much. The entire focus of the lyrics emerges as a generosity quest.

On the day after Christmas, the feast of Stephen (remembering the first Christian martyr), this carol chronicles the pursuit of King Wenceslas and his page to bring a feast to a poor peasant.

I call it a quest because the wind and cold should have kept him from his goal, but nothing would sway him. And he uses the adventure as an illustration for all people after him with these words.

“Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing, Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing.” It echoes the wisdom of Solomon today.

Those with wealth and rank possessing discover something only by giving. If they give freely, they find even more. But if they don’t, they will find only poverty.

Find yourself in the words of this hymn and play you part all who number among the “wealth and rank possessing.” Think of someone to bless this Christmas and don’t let anything get in your way of delivering it.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him
Born the King of Angels:
O come, let us adore Him, (3×)
Christ the Lord.

God of God, light of light,
Lo, he abhors not the Virgin’s womb;
Very God, begotten, not created:
O come, let us adore Him, (3×)
Christ the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of Heaven above!
Glory to God, glory in the highest:
O come, let us adore Him, (3×)
Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!
O come, let us adore Him, (3×)
Christ the Lord.

“Adeste Fideles” translated as “O Come, All Ye Faithful” is attributed to John Francis Wade (1711–1786) though others give credit to John Reading (1645–1692), King John IV of Portugal (1604–1656), and even anonymous Cistercian monks.

This edition comes to us from John Francis Wade and represents #7 of 8 ancient hymns. Scholars trace the Latin version of the words back as early as the 13th century. It’s an old one and a good one for sure.

Let’s lean into a phrase we have likely sung hundreds of times and cherish the generosity of it. “Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!” This represents the greatest gift of all time.

God became flesh and dwelled among us. And we saw His glory, full of grace and truth. So, what’s my prayer today for all of us as we approach Christmas and desire to grow in generosity?

I pray that we give the gifts of grace and truth to everyone we touch this Christmas and every day. To do this, we must immerse ourselves in the Word of God. Do that and the Spirit will take care of the rest.

On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:11

When you read the Latin Christus na­tus ho­die it means “today Christ is born” or “today the Savior has appeared” and when you read the Latin Ex Ma­ria vir­gi­ne it means “from the Virgin Mary.”

Christ was born on Christ­mas Day,
Wreathe the hol­ly, twine the bay;
Christus na­tus ho­die
The Babe, the Son,
The Ho­ly One of Ma­ry.

He is born to set us free,
He is born our Lord to be,
Ex Ma­ria vir­gi­ne:
The God, the Lord,
By all adored for­ev­er.

Let the bright red ber­ries glow
Everywhere in good­ly show;
Christus na­tus ho­die:
The Babe, the Son,
The Ho­ly One of Ma­ry.

Christian men, re­joice and sing;
‘Tis the birth­day of a king,
Ex Ma­ria vir­gi­ne:
The God, the Lord,
By all ad­ored for­ev­er.

Night of sad­ness, morn of glad­ness
Evermore, ev­er, ev­er:
After ma­ny trou­bles sore,
Morn of glad­ness ev­er­more and ev­er­more.

Midnight scarce­ly passed and ov­er,
Drawing to this ho­ly morn,
Very ear­ly, very ear­ly
Christ was born.

Sing out with bliss, His name is this;
Emmanuel:
As was fore­told in days of old
By Ga­bri­el.

Midnight scarce­ly passed and ov­er,
Drawing to this ho­ly morn,
Very ear­ly, very ear­ly,
Christ was born.

“Resonet in laudibus” (“Let the voice of praise resound”) translated from 14th Century German into English by J.M. Neale as “Christ was born on Christmas Day”. This marks #6 of the 8 oldest Christmas carols.

This ancient carol brings into view the tradition of decorating “in goodly show” with a wreath and red berries. The wreath signified the unending love and life found in Jesus Christ. And the red, of course, points to His blood which washes us from our sins.

As you approach the time of giving gifts like Jesus received gifts on that first Christmas, as people say “Merry Christmas” to you, perhaps reply “Happy Birthday” like Frosty the Snowman to get their attention (click here to see it).

As this ancient song proclaims, “Christmas is the birthday of a King.” And not just any king. “the God, the Lord, who is to be adored forever.” Don’t forget to acknowledge Christmas as the birthday of Jesus!

And you will never hear me say “Merry Christmas” as “merry” as the Greek word in texts like Luke 12:19-20 associates with selfish and licentious living. I say Happy or Blessed Christmas, using the word that appears in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:12).

Join me Happy Birthday Jesus! Happy Christmas to all.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” Luke 2:11-14

Good Christian men, rejoice
With heart, and soul, and voice;
Give ye heed to what we say:
News! News!
Jesus Christ was born to-day:
Ox and ass before Him bow,
And He is in the manger now.
Christ is born today! Christ is born today.

In dulci jublio meaning “In sweet rejoicing” (A.D. 1328) but known in modern times as Good Christian Men, Rejoice, translated by J.M. Neale.

This Christmas my attention has gone repeatedly to the manger. The angel identifies the manger as a sign. Then this ancient hymn announces pointedly, “He is in the manger now!”

Remember that a manger is a feeding trough. This illustrates the heart of the big news!

All in Christ have reason to rejoice with heart and soul and voice. Generosity takes shape as spreading this news. The source of life for us is not the food we eat but the savior we meet at the manger.

Tell everyone. Christ is born today. It’s the most generous thing you can do.