40acts: The Lent Generosity ChallengeSample

Ever had this happen? You’re looking at a bargain shirt, wondering what on earth happened to make it that cheap, and before you know it, you’ve gone and bought it. It happens to most of us. 

We’re reminded in Matthew 6:21 that what we choose to treasure affects our heart. If cheap fashion is what we crave, without considering those who make it or the environment, we’re neglecting our duty to love one another.

When we buy clothes, there’s much more to think about than simply the cost to our wallets. It’s a decision that can affect everything from the economy to the environment to perhaps someone’s life on the other side of the world.

So perhaps next time you need a winter coat, save up and buy one from a brand whose factory workers have a good quality of life. Or you can always buy second-hand. 

Jesus taught us to love our neighbours as ourselves and, more than that, as he has loved us – sacrificially. We have a duty to care for even those we have never met.

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James 5:2–5 goes further. Those who have suffered as a result of others’ self-indulgence are known to the Lord. The pursuit of luxury with no thought to others leads to a bad outcome, we’re warned. All those hoarded clothes will become moth-eaten and useless. There’s more to a shopping trip than meets the eye, so what changes can we begin to make?

 Find more about today’s 40acts challenge on our blog:  https://40acts.org.uk/act-32-better-threads/