Great insight from Ronald Sider

Michael and I read this insight from Ronald Sider the other night after our Bible reading.

"We all know how subtle the materialistic temptations are and how convincing the rationalizations. Only by God's grace and with great effort can we escape the shower of luxuries which has almost suffocated our Christian compassion. All of us face this problem. Some years ago I spent about fifty dolars on an extra suit. That's not much of course. Besides, I persudaded myself, it was a wise investment (thanks to the 75 percent discount). But that money would have fed a starving child in India for about a year. In all honesty we have to ask ourselves: Dare we care at all about current fashions if that means reducing our ability to help hungry neighbors? Dare we care more about obtaining a secure economic future for our family than for living an uncompromisingly Christian lifestyle?...
...We have been brainwashed to believe that bigger houses, more prosperous businesses, more luxurious gadgets, are worthy goals in life. As a result, we are caught in an absurd, materialistic spiral. The more we make, the more we think we need in order to live decently and respectably. Somehow we have to break this cycle because it makes us sin against our needy brothers and sisters and, therefore, against our Lord. And it also destroys us. Sharing with others is the way to real joy."

We found this very humbling and challenging. Something we're striving to do much better at than we do now. By the way, Ron Sider wrote _Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger_. If you've ever asked Michael for a book to read here at our house, no doubt he's handed it to you and said how great it is.

Hope you have a blessed day!!!!!