Frugally Generous
As a young kid working for quarters and dollars, I used to think I was a very stingy person with purchases.... until I met REALLY stingy people. Thereafter, I thought I was somewhat prudent, but someone who freely spent and often wandered into wastefulness.
But my teen years... they have been quite shocking. Nope, I am definitely not free with spending!
Short story shorter, comparing your life to other peoples' only ends up in confusion, stress, and wrong conclusions anyway, so I stopped rating spending compared to others' habits. Life is much simpler when it's just you and God, though not any less complex, in retrospect.
I think, for better or worse, I've settled into something I would dub as "frugally generous". A place with much refinement to be done still, that's for sure. I count it a blessing though, through past experiences and present circumstances, to have friends who quite unknowingly teach me the value of social spending. Eating out, for instance. There I was concealing my horror at spending eight dollars for a meal, and my college buddies with no job and more broke than I am are just having a grand old time. The truth of the matter is, there's a massive difference between spending eight dollars on a meal with buddies you never get to see and talk about God with, and spending eight dollars on a meal with an empty chair staring across the table at you. Eight dollars is not even all that expensive; that's coming from a reformed mindset.
The point of this ramble is just that being frugally generous involves discernment in where and how to be generous, and who to be generous with. Generosity is still generosity even if it's aimed at yourself, even if it's usually perceived as selfishness instead, which is a broader term. When I was a kid, I was generous. I bought significant amounts of sassafras candies, airheads, and nerds. I just freely consumed 90% of them as well. God's refining work grinding-ly rotates that generosity 180 degrees, towards that empty seat facing you. We're all somewhat naturally generous, in some area or another whether it be one or a combination of our time, money, possessions, skills, whatever it is you come up with.
God has shown me over and over (to the point where it's starting to stick), that I am brought to more peace and wholeness when my particular slant of generosity is used to draw others to him, instead of focused on myself.
Take a moment to think about how generous you are. In what ways are you generous? How could that best be used?
But my teen years... they have been quite shocking. Nope, I am definitely not free with spending!
Short story shorter, comparing your life to other peoples' only ends up in confusion, stress, and wrong conclusions anyway, so I stopped rating spending compared to others' habits. Life is much simpler when it's just you and God, though not any less complex, in retrospect.
I think, for better or worse, I've settled into something I would dub as "frugally generous". A place with much refinement to be done still, that's for sure. I count it a blessing though, through past experiences and present circumstances, to have friends who quite unknowingly teach me the value of social spending. Eating out, for instance. There I was concealing my horror at spending eight dollars for a meal, and my college buddies with no job and more broke than I am are just having a grand old time. The truth of the matter is, there's a massive difference between spending eight dollars on a meal with buddies you never get to see and talk about God with, and spending eight dollars on a meal with an empty chair staring across the table at you. Eight dollars is not even all that expensive; that's coming from a reformed mindset.
The point of this ramble is just that being frugally generous involves discernment in where and how to be generous, and who to be generous with. Generosity is still generosity even if it's aimed at yourself, even if it's usually perceived as selfishness instead, which is a broader term. When I was a kid, I was generous. I bought significant amounts of sassafras candies, airheads, and nerds. I just freely consumed 90% of them as well. God's refining work grinding-ly rotates that generosity 180 degrees, towards that empty seat facing you. We're all somewhat naturally generous, in some area or another whether it be one or a combination of our time, money, possessions, skills, whatever it is you come up with.
God has shown me over and over (to the point where it's starting to stick), that I am brought to more peace and wholeness when my particular slant of generosity is used to draw others to him, instead of focused on myself.
Take a moment to think about how generous you are. In what ways are you generous? How could that best be used?
Better reading late than never. ;)
ReplyDeleteI like your thoughts very much.