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05/12/2013

My Thoughts

There seems to be an incompatible thought in my contemporary church in the USA that is common in well-to-do churches. There is a teaching that indicates a good christian family should at least have a savings account, with six months income reserved for hard times and a retirement account that will be there for you when you retire, or at least when you choose to transition from your vocation into full time missions. If you don't have these things in place than you are squandering what God has given you because you haven't budgeted and lived properly.

On the other hand a missionary named George Muller is highly esteemed for having a strong faith. This faith allowed him to operate an orphanage with hundreds of children yet at times have bare cupboards. Even as he and his children sat down for dinner there would be times they wouldn't even have a slice of bread to put on the table. They would sit pray and God would show up with food to fill the table.

It's one thing to revere George Muller but it is entirely a different thing to live like him. Our teachings today make us guilty to rely on God to provide for our daily living. In my mind our enemy has us cornered in an argument like the trickster that agrees to a coin flip and says, 'heads I win, tails you loose.'

I do believe one must live in a way so as not to overspend and yes the guidelines laid out by Burkett that allows for 20% savings, 50% living expenses, 10% tithing and 20% entertainment is a good idea. But what happens when the job is lost and the savings is gone and the retirement account is used up and you have to rely on God. You can live guilty that you sinned against the Burkett teaching or enjoy the opportunity to rely on God.