Living in a solidly middle class suburb of a major American city, I see folks everyday who live better than probably 90% of the world. There are no shortages of toys around here. Boats, RVs, ATVs, Motorcycles and extra cars abound throughout our village. Yet, we still hear regular stories of people who can’t make ends meet, who can’t pay the bills, etc. And this didn’t just start last year when the economy fell. It’s been happening for my seven years here. Let me give you an example.
A mother comes in looking for help, and she does have an acute need. Thanks to losing a job, she isn’t presently able to make ends meet. But, as you continue talking a few interesting points come out. First, she is a smoker. Second, she (and her teenage kids) have cell phones. Third, they have cable. Fourth, they have broadband internet. And the list goes on.
Now, none of those things mean the person doesn’t need help. But, I begin to wonder when real help is holding people accountable for getting rid of unnecessary extras. At what point is the church failing to love people because we are simply enabling their overspending/unaffordable lifestyle? When does evangelism go from meeting ‘felt needs’ to prophetically calling people to stop living that way?
The problem, I think, is that we’ve come to expect a lifestyle that we cannot truly afford. We’ve convinced ourselves we need cable, we need internet, we need cell phones. While those may be nice to have, and even helpful and convenient, when the money runs short shouldn’t some of those luxuries be sacrificed before going and asking for benevolence?