William Henry O. Lake
Sunday School Papers Etc.
Cost of Christian Living
Every month we hear or read a news article which of late usually runs
like this. The cost of living index has risen by 3/10 of a point or some
other figure. The increase in the price of certain products or services
has more than offset the decline in the price of certain other products
or services. The increase in the index as you know the cost of living
index is based on the fact that the cost of living in 1945? was 100.
You can be sure that each time this index moves up there is a large
group of people whose hearts sink a little deeper because it seems the
day has long since gone by when the old age pension cheque or that dividend
cheque or annuity check or the fixed income check was stretched to the
limit and they wonder what else they can cut from their budget to meet
this new rise. You can be sure that these people have become very careful
in the financing of their living. Their sense of value has become very
keen in making wise choices in food & clothing and recreation etc.
There is another group of people who are also concerned about this new
rise but their concern is not as great as the first group because they
say to themselves "well I'll just have to hit the boss up for another
raise to meet it" or if he is a small business man he decided to
add a few more cents to certain prices to make it up. Of course there
is a certain effort involved in these actions and sometimes a great deal
of unpleasantness but nevertheless this is the only way to overcome the
increase. The sense of value of these people's buying habits would certainly
be alert but not as keen as the first group.
The there is a third group who couldn't care less when the cost of living
increases. They are the group whose income is quite adequate to take care
of this rise and many more so they are not concerned at all and their
sense of value doesn't seem to be alert at all being able to buy whatever
they want at any time.
And so as the cost of living is a problem to each of us in varying degrees.
There is another cost of living index that is with us as surely as life
itself and we must face it it whether we like it or not. That is the cost
of Christian living. When we think about the cost of Christian living
there are a number of things that are similar but are different.
The cost of Christian living is based on the value we put on a life
that was lived 1900 years ago. This life of Christ illustrates to us that
it can provide all the spiritual and physical needs any person would need
or could want so that it is not necessary for us to be careful on the
use of the commodity we need to meet the cost of Christian living.
The cost of Christian living is not governed by the amount of spiritual
income that comes to us but rather the amount of our possessions and ourselves
and our talents we give out. It has been an amazing fact to those who
have tried it, to find that the more of themselves they give, the more
they seems to have left. And so the giving of ourselves and our possessions
and talents in Christian love is the key to this whole business of the
cost of Christian living.
The people concerned in this cost of Christian living seem to come again
into 3 groups. Although there are actually only two.
The first group are those whose sense of value of the life of Christ
is very small, they couldn't care less, and to these people the thought
of giving of themselves or of their possessions to any great extent is
out of the question. Their concern is not in giving but in getting.
The second group are those who would take a middle of the road course.
Their sense of value of Christ is alert indeed. They feel that the life
of Christ is a very fine example to follow so long as it is convenient.
These people attend church and take part in some of its activities but
are very cautious of being involved too deeply because it might involve
commitments that they might not be prepared to give. So the value of the
life of Christ to them is not 100%. By the Teachings of Christ this group
is not a separate group but rather a section of the first group. For He
recognizes only 2 groups of people. Those who are for Him or against Him.
There is no middle course.
The other group are those whose sense of value of the life of Christ
is 100%. These are the folk who endeavor to follow the teachings of Christ
to the very best of their ability, sometimes failing and falling but each
time seeking the forgiveness of God and those who were affected and striving
[to] do better each time.
To the first combined group the cost of Christian living is a tremendous
price today for to them it is life itself. To the other group the cost
of Christian living is just as great, it too is life itself, but the fact
still seems amazing because in the giving of their life in Christian service
they find a better life.
Navigation Aid: Papers
|
Search This Site.jpg)
