Money, Possessions and Eternity

This isn't a book review. I (Mandy) will leave those to Brian, but I thought I would reflect on why in the world I read "Money, Possessions and Eternity" by Randy Alcorn. Honestly I picked it off our shelf because I thought I was doing pretty good in these areas. You know...frugal cloth-diapering missionary, soon to give away most of her earthly belongings, loves giving garage sales and boxing up stuff for Goodwill. 


Yet something I heard an older wiser Christian say at a missions conference one time has really stuck with me. He was talking about how arrogant and impatient we American missionaries are with new believers on the field. We expect people who have grown up all their lives steeped in idol worship, karma or caste systems to immediately shed off all those "silly notions" and start living mature, godly (and maybe a little bit more like us thank you very much) lives. Whereas, we on some level are still so tightly tied to the American dream, materialism, comfort and ease. This is the essence of the culture I live in. Why do I think, just because I am a follower of Christ that all that way of thinking and way of living has fallen off as scales?


Unfortunately, I'm not miraculously healed off all that sin that so easily entangles after reading this book, yet here is why I am glad I read it. 

• I want to teach my girls (and any other Stocks who come along) that money is neither evil nor foundational for happiness, but every thing we have is from God and FOR some purpose that is God-glorifying. Yes, you can buy pickles and toilet paper to the glory of God, but am I aware of that? Am I teaching that?
• We are support-raising. Almost everyday we are talking about our support account, asking people to support us, praying they will, etc. There is a temptation there to see partners only as valuable as their % contributed, to judge or be bitter against those who do not give, and to feel entitled to their money. God has protected me so far from seeing my friends with dollar signs over their heads (!) but I need to constantly examine my heart, my motives, my desire to see goals accomplished. 
• We are missionaries. When (some) people find out that we are moving to a smelly, crowded country they usually say "Good for you! I could never do that. I couldn't do without good ol' American hamburgers [or my house, air conditioning, etc]". And sometimes, I think "Yeah, good for me." I pat my little ascetic self on the back and think how both Jesus and Mandy Stock put the call of God above possessions and worldly comforts. Need I comment on the ridiculousness of my inner dialogue!? When I physically flee affluence, I pray I will not be led into the less-stuff = more-godly lies. 
• I want to be wise with what God has given us. Sometimes that means I need to give more away, but sometimes it means I keep something in order to be hospitable to others, to share, or even invest for the future in a wise manner.
• I am not like most people in this book (nor, I suppose, the average American). The only debt we have is our mortgage. We have an ample amount in savings. We give over and above our tithe. Did I mention I cloth-diaper?! So my materialism does not show itself in our [borrowed] driveway. Yet in my heart it clings. Primarily, I fail to see the eternal perspective of resources. I live simply because that is what good people do, not (usually) for the joy of being a good steward in God's kingdom. 

Ok, I could go on and on. Really, as I kept saying to Brian as I read this, it's a good book. It's long enough to make you feel uncomfortable. It's comprehensive enough to make you think about issues I haven't really considered (like how much to leave to my children when we die or what kind of mutual fund to buy). It's not a handbook for a budget, nor do I totally agree with all his advice, but it's a constant, honest and thoughtful work pointing us back to the Bible.