US Mennonite Brethren

We are living in tough times. The past month we have experienced a serious financial crisis in our country that has reverberated around the world. Collectively, many of us have lost a lot of money. Our retirement nest eggs aren’t what they used to be. Furthermore, many people have lost their jobs.

About 15 years ago my husband and I seriously started saving money for our retirement. Every month there were automatic withdrawals from our paychecks into a savings plan. Those were the boom years, and we watched our nest egg grow. When our quarterly reports arrived in the mail, I would look at the bottom line and say, Wow! I knew our retirement was secure, and it felt good.

When our financial statement for the end of September 2008 arrived it didn’t look so good anymore, and I felt much less secure. I was reminded of something my father used to say, “Easy come, easy go.” Our nest egg was on paper only, and now a significant chunk of it was gone. And that was before the October crash!

We are being told almost on a daily basis by the financial gurus that we need to cut back on our spending and lower our credit card debt. Tips about how to save money are everywhere: Don’t live beyond your means. Eat more meals at home. Buy only what you need.

I am so thankful for my Mennonite heritage that taught me to be careful with my money and how to make it stretch as far as possible. While I have no intention of returning to the legalism of the 80s, I do believe we can learn to do “more with less.” I have learned to shop for clothes at end-of-season clearance sales. We seldom eat out, saving this luxury for when we travel.

Last spring we replaced many of our light bulbs with the new energy efficient ones. We also adjusted our thermostat one degree for both heating and cooling. By just doing these things we have seen a substantial decrease in our utility bills. We have long since paid for the expense of the new light bulbs. Now our continued energy savings are “icing on the cake” and good for the environment as well.

I am reminded of what Lynn Miller writes in his article, “What your retirement planner doesn’t tell you” (Christianity Today, April 2000). Instead of focusing on how much we want or think we need, he encourages us to think of living with “enough” rather than “all you can get.”

Paul writes to Timothy: “A devout life does bring wealth, but it’s the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that’s enough” (I Tim. 6: 6-8, The Message). Miller says it’s time for an attitude adjustment. Enough is good. Enough is sufficient. I don’t need more. So now I’m thinking, “I’ve lost a lot of ‘paper’ money, but what I have left is all I need.”

The Web site globalrichlist.com has put a lot of things into perspective for me. On this site, I was asked to fill in my yearly income to find out where I fit in the world’s hierarchy of rich people. I was astounded at what I learned. Did you know that:

• If you make more than $47,500 per year, then you fit into the top 1 percent of the world’s income category?

• If you make more than $25,300 per year you are in the top 10 percent category that earns 50 percent of the world’s income?

• Three billion people live on less than $2 per day?

• 1.3 billion of these get by on less than $1 per day?

• Women make up 70 percent of this last category?

Obviously, it makes a big difference whether we compare ourselves with those who have more than we do or less. My recent money losses pale in comparison to all the people who are struggling to survive on so little.

Brian Klouth, from Generous Life Ministries, has some interesting things to say:

• “It’s not the high cost of living, it’s the cost of living too high, that gets most people in trouble.”

• “The most expensive vehicle to operate, per mile, is the shopping cart.”

• “Your bank and credit card statements are theological documents. They tell who and what you worship.”

In spite of the current economic downturn let’s not forget our giving to the Lord. The prophet Malachi warns us not to rob God by withholding our tithes and offerings (Mal. 3:8). According to Klouth, “There is no advantage to being the richest person in the cemetery. Our real worth is what will be ours in eternity.”

One final thought: What are you giving Jesus for Christmas this year?