Religion, Sex, and Politics

This entry is a guest blog by our own Rachel Murawski. Rachel's comments here, and other things she's shared with me, have helped to shape the direction and focus of this year's Hillsboro Christmas emphasis. (See our latest newsletter for more info on that.) Here's Rachel's blog entry:

I have been convicted lately about how I have been using the things that God has given to me. I live in a nice home, sleep in a comfortable bed with added cushioning to make it even more comfortable, have food available at any time that I need or want it, an abundance of things to entertain me if I get bored, little things all over to make my house look attractive… The list goes on and on.
But throughout the past couple of weeks, between conversations with a friend and a couple books (most recently “Radical” by David Platt), I have begun to take a step back and see if I am using the things God has given me the way God wants me to use them. And the more I look into Scripture and the more I am honest with myself, I have realized that I am not.

I read passages like 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 and see how the early Christians approached their possessions and their giving. To give just a sampling of that passage, Paul says that the Macedonians were “very poor, but they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity…they gave not only what they could afford, but far more…they did it out of their own free will…they begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.”

That is not even close to how I give. I am not poor. If you or I have food to eat, a bed to sleep in, clothing, running water, and a roof over my head, I am actually quite wealthy (top 15% of the world!). And when I look at how I give, I think Paul would have written something a little more along the lines of, “she is well off, but filled with a desire for more, which has overflowed into selfish consumption…she gives what she can easily afford, but not any more…she did it because she knew it was what she was suppose to do…she wondered what new things she could purchase with the money that she kept for herself.” Not a very appealing picture.

As I wrestle with this area in my own life, I can’t help but think about the holidays that are just around the corner. I think about how much we spend each year on piles of presents, an over-abundance of food, Black Friday shopping sprees, and I can’t help but think of how nearly half of the world is struggling each day to find food, water, and shelter with the same amount of money that we spend on our French fries at lunch. There are 26,000 children that die each day from starvation or preventable diseases. There are people without homes or food who sleep in the parks of Charlottesville. And God has given us an OVER-abundance of material things, not for our own comfort and enjoyment, but to share it with those in need.

Yet I notice throughout Scripture, God doesn’t desire us to just give our leftovers. It isn’t hard to give a little of the money you have left over after buying what you want. It isn’t hard to give away clothing that you no longer want because you have bought newer things. But this isn’t the kind of giving God desires. The Christians Paul talks about in Macedonia gave not only what they could afford, but FAR MORE. God didn’t give us something that was easy for Him to give. He gave His ONLY. He gave sacrificially. And because of His loving gift to us, we should be giving in that same way.

I hope you'll respond to Rachel's entry in the comments box below. And I also hope you'll think about how her ideas could shape the way you celebrate Christmas this year. Instead of buying more stuff for people who are already "over-stuffed," perhaps you'd like to focus some attention on the poorest of the poor, on those who are most in need of a demonstration of the love and concern of God for their lives. Does that sound exciting to you? If so, we plan on helping folks find some good options for actually making a life-changing difference this Christmas, as we celebrate "A World-Changing Christmas."

But Rachel's thoughts aren't just a holidays emphasis. She's calling for a year-round life change. So what do you think?