Financial Discipleship - the Bible on LifestyleSýnishorn

I fear that we are all either trapped or on our way to being trapped by the lure of more; it seems like we are constantly heading for a black hole.

Looking at the sociological and psychological consequences of our all-consuming epidemic, psychologists Tim Kasser and Robert Putman argue, “It’s a particular strand of overconsumption, where we purchase things, not to fulfill our basic needs, but where we use stuff to fill some voids about our lives and make social statements about ourselves. Our obsessive relationship with material things is actually jeopardizing our relationships, which have proven over and over to be the biggest determining factor in our happiness once our basic needs are met. “Beyond a minimum threshold of poverty, money doesn’t buy happiness. Wealth may seem like a solution to your problems, but often it simply replaces the ones it solves. As paychecks increase, lifestyles usually match those increases. This results in the same financial worries and budgeting problems, just with more stuff. A preoccupation with owning things is a poor attempt to fill a vacuum. Occasionally stuff can fill that vacuum. Buying that new computer or fancy car might temporarily shrink the hole. But quickly you adapt to the new upgrades and the hole grows, enslaving you to earn higher and higher paychecks with no way out.”

Answering the question, “How much is enough?” can be an antidote to overconsumption; thinking and meditating on this question can help us to consider what “enough” means for each of us personally. If we determine the threshold of enough, any income over and above that can be utilized to build assets to invest in doing good – first of all to our family and friends and then to the world at large.

It is great to reach the place where we can say, “This is enough.” This place can be reached sooner then we think. Paul wrote to Timothy, “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:8). John the Baptist said to some curious Roman soldiers, “. . . be content with your pay” (Luke 3:14).

Can you earnestly pray, as Jesus taught us, “Give me today my daily bread”? That is, “Lord please provide enough for what I need for life.” I have learned to live on “enough” for many years. Sometimes I have had more and been able to bless others with it; but I have never been let down by God and not had enough!

I believe we should all seek to assess what we can do without. “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:7-8, ESV).

(excerpt taken from Financial Discipleship: Investing in Eternity, Peter J. Briscoe, 2020)