"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."
How much is enough? This is one of the really hard questions for people (me included) to answer.
You might say, "Why should we ask the question; aren't we just trying to help people become generous toward God?" I would say yes and I would also say that we can help people see how God has already providing for them so they can see how they can give more today.
Just this week I had the conversation with someone I am close to and we were able to step through a "poor man's" financial needs worksheet. We talked about:
- Getting debt free
- Retirement cash flow
- What he wanted to allow his children's remaining education, transportation, wedding and even a down payment on a house
- Health care and long-term living
After this brief analysis we concluded and agreed that he had plenty for every foreseeable and unforeseeable event.
Ready to give now? No, not really. "There might be something else", he declared.
That's the way it is with our work. We are the Holy Spirit's messenger of the Good News that Christ is all we need. How our friends respond to this and other biblical truth is a function of spiritual maturity.
We should still ask the questions and provoke people to think more deeply. From my experience, we stewardship officers may be the only people asking these questions. Praise the Lord that there are some Christian financial advisors who will do so, too.
Working together, while allowing the Spirit to do the heart work, we may be able to help our fiends get relief from the burden of wealth.
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