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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Giving it all away
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Marvin the Martian
Interplanetary
# 4360
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by cliffdweller:
Obviously the social norm changed later on-- for reasons unknown.
Because it's ridiculous and unworkable?
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Hail Gallaxhar
Posts: 30100 | From: Adrift on a sea of surreality | Registered: Apr 2003
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la vie en rouge
Parisienne
# 10688
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by cliffdweller:
quote:
Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
On a separate point, some of the early believers were definitely wealthy, and while they used their wealth to help others, there’s no sign that they gave it all away.
Other than the book of Acts, of course.
You're cherrypicking my post. There is no indication whatsoever that Lydia, who was a very wealthy lady indeed, gave all her wealth away. She was generous – having that number of people as houseguests for months on end is expensive – but I see no indication that she sold everything she earned and gave it to the poor.
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Rent my holiday home in the South of France
Posts: 3696 | Registered: Nov 2005
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Marvin the Martian
Interplanetary
# 4360
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Posted
Of course, the other problem about giving all our your posessions away to people who have nothing is the fact that, the very next day, they will have to give it all back to you. Because then they will be the ones with posessions and you will have nothing.
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Hail Gallaxhar
Posts: 30100 | From: Adrift on a sea of surreality | Registered: Apr 2003
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Lord Jestocost
Shipmate
# 12909
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Marvin the Martian:
Of course, the other problem about giving all our your posessions away to people who have nothing is the fact that, the very next day, they will have to give it all back to you. Because then they will be the ones with posessions and you will have nothing.
Ah, but then you have cashflow, the foundation of any good business ...
Posts: 761 | From: The Instrumentality of Man | Registered: Aug 2007
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Belle Ringer
Shipmate
# 13379
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Marvin the Martian:
Of course, the other problem about giving all our your posessions away to people who have nothing is the fact that, the very next day, they will have to give it all back to you. Because then they will be the ones with posessions and you will have nothing.
Sounds like fun!
I've seen families after parents die, dividing the estate. Some fight over stuff and everyone goes away feeling cheated of their fair share and is still saying so years and decades later, and I've seen families where siblings are each saying "you take Dad's watch/Mom's bracelet, no you take it, no I really think you should have it" and everyone goes away feeling loved and provided for.
Mutual giving is a much happier culture than mutual grabbing/clinging.
Posts: 5830 | From: Texas | Registered: Jan 2008
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lilBuddha
Shipmate
# 14333
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Marvin the Martian:
quote:
Originally posted by cliffdweller:
Obviously the social norm changed later on-- for reasons unknown.
Because it's ridiculous and unworkable?
Because they realised Jesus was in less of a hurry to return then they were to have him back.
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I put on my rockin' shoes in the morning
Hallellou, hallellou
Posts: 17627 | From: the round earth's imagined corners | Registered: Dec 2008
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Chorister
Completely Frocked
# 473
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Marvin the Martian:
Of course, the other problem about giving all our your posessions away to people who have nothing is the fact that, the very next day, they will have to give it all back to you. Because then they will be the ones with posessions and you will have nothing.
I can remember having a very serious conversation with my mother, aged about 7, on this very topic. And all because I used to go to church and hear the Magnificat: He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away.
There is a lady with learning difficulties in our town who takes everything literally. After hearing this teaching in church, she gave all she owned to the charity shop, and only had left the clothes in which she stood.
I like to think that was a 'jar of ointment at the feet of Jesus' moment for her, but it does highlight that preachers do need to be very careful what they actually say in church!
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Retired, sitting back and watching others for a change.
Posts: 34626 | From: Cream Tealand | Registered: Jun 2001
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Mere Nick
Shipmate
# 11827
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Chorister:
quote:
Originally posted by Marvin the Martian:
Of course, the other problem about giving all our your posessions away to people who have nothing is the fact that, the very next day, they will have to give it all back to you. Because then they will be the ones with posessions and you will have nothing.
I can remember having a very serious conversation with my mother, aged about 7, on this very topic. And all because I used to go to church and hear the Magnificat: He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away.
There is a lady with learning difficulties in our town who takes everything literally. After hearing this teaching in church, she gave all she owned to the charity shop, and only had left the clothes in which she stood.
I like to think that was a 'jar of ointment at the feet of Jesus' moment for her, but it does highlight that preachers do need to be very careful what they actually say in church!
Yep. My brother heard a sermon on Phil 4:13 and went home and, convinced he could now fly, jumped off the roof and broke his arm.
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"Well that's it, boys. I've been redeemed. The preacher's done warshed away all my sins and transgressions. It's the straight and narrow from here on out, and heaven everlasting's my reward."
Delmar O'Donnell
Posts: 2797 | From: West Carolina | Registered: Sep 2006
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mark_in_manchester
not waving, but...
# 15978
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Posted
I wonder of this thread has run its course, or if I might widen it and ask your opinion on the other side of money - time.
I used to have a time-consuming and sometimes stressful job, and from the resources it generated I could give money. We're anonymous here, so I can be frank and say we chose to buy a shit house in a shit area, paid it off young and chose not to move/upgrade, and could give away a large-ish percentage of income. This didn't hurt much, as we chose to run a shit car, go on cheap holidays, and have a nice peaceful life a very long way inside our means. I gave time too; a fair amount of what little was available, I guess.
Then my head imploded; or perhaps the crash I had been preparing for, happened. We now have a smaller income, though we can still give quite money easily as our outgoings are likewise still small. I'm currently working part-time in a temporary, personally-rewarding though not 'do-gooding', low-paid job, and looking after my kids. My wife is highly paid, into her career, and works long hours, by choice.
I imagine this could all be OK - but of course I wonder if God is happy with our cautious, strongly positive bank balance, belt-and-braces fearful approach to financial security, and resulting timorous approach (to put it kindly) to 'living by faith'. So far, so on-topic.
At the same time, I'm giving money because I happily spend hours under the old car, paint my own windows, pour lots of time (when kids are in bed, or at school) into my extensive hobbies, because it makes me feel good.
If I was spending cash on myself like I spend time, I'd be guilty as hell. I'm uneasy, now. I know Christianity is not meant to be an ascetic cult - at least, not for everyone - and that 'things' can be good. But things can mean time, even when they are cheap or free monetarily. I suspect in the place of the rich young man, God might say to me 'go and spend your time on the poor, not on your personal creativity'.
But then I always hear God as my Dad, giving me some kind of admonition. Bugger, it's hard to hear the real voice. What do you do to stay sane, folks? Tithe your time? Double tithe it if you can?
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"We are punished by our sins, not for them" - Elbert Hubbard
(so good, I wanted to see it after my posts and not only after those of shipmate JBohn from whom I stole it)
Posts: 1596 | Registered: Oct 2010
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Horseman Bree
Shipmate
# 5290
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Posted
Time is the only thing you can't affect. Money can be income, or expenses or the reason to be working. As you've pointed out, there is some flexibility with money. But there is just an exact amount of time.
Within that time, you have to keep yourself healthy enough to function at what you must do, let alone what you would like to do. And the needs of kids are, to some extent, "musts" - you can sort out what are musts and what are wants, but some are musts.
God does not require that your relationship must suffer in order for some doing good can happen. But there are some aspects of dong good that are compatible or even encouraging for your relationship as well.
So, look for balance. "You are no earthly good if you think or act too heavenly"
And Thy Kingdom is supposed to Come on Earth, so far as possible.
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It's Not That Simple
Posts: 5372 | From: more herring choker than bluenose | Registered: Dec 2003
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deano
princess
# 12063
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Posted
This thread is all about highlighting extremes, from the very rich to those who give everything away.
Where is the happy medium?
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"The moral high ground is slowly being bombed to oblivion. " - Supermatelot
Posts: 2118 | From: Chesterfield | Registered: Nov 2006
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mark_in_manchester
not waving, but...
# 15978
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Posted
quote:
Where is the happy medium?
That's the whole thread in a nutshell. Where? Lord deliver us from the poles of guilty fear and complacent self-indulgence.
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"We are punished by our sins, not for them" - Elbert Hubbard
(so good, I wanted to see it after my posts and not only after those of shipmate JBohn from whom I stole it)
Posts: 1596 | Registered: Oct 2010
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mark_in_manchester
not waving, but...
# 15978
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Posted
quote:
But there are some aspects of dong good that are compatible or even encouraging for your relationship as well.
Well, that's true. I've been volunteer-teaching music to ex-offenders for more than 20 years. I get a lot out of it - in fact I generally enjoy it so much, something in my head tells me I should be volunteering at something more difficult. The timing also means my wife has to come home early from work once a week and pick the kids up, which is good for everyone! ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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"We are punished by our sins, not for them" - Elbert Hubbard
(so good, I wanted to see it after my posts and not only after those of shipmate JBohn from whom I stole it)
Posts: 1596 | Registered: Oct 2010
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