Live simply

By Helen Bessent Byrd (M.Div.’07)

Paul told his mentee, Timothy, to teach the church in Ephesus that “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (1 Tim 6:10a).” In the everyday vernacular from Peterson’s Message Bible, Paul advises, “Tell those rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage — to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they’ll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life” (vv. 17-19).”

Many people today possess a similar value system. They may declare that they are not wealthy but they have a plasma TV and VCR in every room of the house, every family member has their own cell phone and iPod, everyone 16 years of age and older has a car, and the family spends several weeks at a summer cottage or condo. Some of us think life is all about living affluently. The life we have here is not the “be all and end all.” There is more to come and what we experience then is contingent upon what we do in the here and now. We build our foundation while we live on this earth. Paul told Timothy to tell the believers — to tell us — don’t be arrogant or haughty, do good works, and share generously.

Remember that God wants us to live simply, so that others can simply live! Believers should share generously. What are riches worth in the end if they are not shared. A few years ago (2003) PCUSA conducted a survey in which members were asked to select two factors from a list of 10 that influenced their decision most about giving to their congregation. For the largest givers (10% or more), the strongest motivator was, “a sense of gratitude for God’s love and goodness” followed by “wanting to contribute to God’s work in the world.” They were generous givers. Members need to be aware of what God has done for us and what God wants us to do for others. The core mission of members is to be God’s people engaged in proportionate giving and tithing.

Set your hope in God and keep Paul’s message in your heart: if you live in the current age by not being arrogant, by being rich in good works, and by always being generous in sharing, you will store up treasures of a good foundation for coming age living. We, at Union’s Black Alumni Association, encourage you to give, not only tithes and offerings in churches but also give offerings to other nonprofit organizations including Union. Applying what Paul says “be extravagantly generous” helping students. With present age giving you can achieve eternal age living!