What can we conclude about living simply in abundance? Here are eight thoughts.
First and foremost, living simply is not a matter of material wealth. It is a relational matter with God. Our singular focus on God will orient our relationship to our wealth and every other aspect of our life.
Second, God's intention for humanity is not mere subsistence. It is human flourishing. God intends widespread communal abundance. The biblical narrative begins in a garden and ends in a garden city. God pronounced creation good, but God will also redeem human cultural affectations and pronounce them good.
Third, material abundance is not a zero-sum game. Our abundance is not reciprocal to someone else's deprivation. We have learned the wealth-generating benefits of trade and technological innovation. We must draw more people into trading relationships and diffuse technological innovation so others may experience material prosperity.
Fourth, extending from the previous thought, we are right to enjoy the abundance God has provided for us. We should thankfully embrace God's gifts with the caveat that our consumption of those gifts exists within a broader context of holistic stewardship.
Fourth, contrary to dark visions painted by neo-Malthusian pessimists, we are not on the verge of imminent resource exhaustion or climate catastrophe. Problems exist, but our aim should be to bring as many people as possible into prosperity now as we prudently work to develop alternative energy options.
Fifth, our stewardship begins with ourselves and extends to our families. From there, the biblical model suggests that our churches should be communities of families that look out for each other. The primary way we transform communities is by inviting others into our communal abundance. Subsidiarity comes into play for civic institutions and government beyond this localized level, but it is a supplementary role, not a lead role. We must rethink what it means to be in a mission as a community.
Sixth, we are limited human beings with limited resources that cannot save the world. Seeing a need does not constitute a calling. Our stewardship and response to needs have to flow from our relationship with God and our community with others.
Seventh, we know that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Possessing great wealth can make us more anxious if we let it define our identity. Possessing great wealth in a culture of wealth dulls us to the plight of billions around the world. Possessing great wealth can detract from our singular focus on God. Therefore, we need strategies that challenge our "need" impulses. We need financial strategies born of prayerful reflection, which render us less easily influenced by impulses that may mislead us. We must intentionally reduce our isolation from poor people as we strive to keep our abundance and its relative importance in perspective.
I know this is an incomplete coverage of the topic, but it took me twenty-four posts to discuss this much. 🙂 It has been helpful for me to process some of this out loud, and I truly appreciate the interaction it has generated. I may have to write more after this initial attempt has had a chance to simmer a while.
Any thoughts you want to add? Stuff you think I should have covered? (I'll be happy to steal ideas for future posts. 🙂 )
Peace!
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