GRATITUDE OR GREED #2?

           

            Last week, I talked about reaching and needing more, both as individuals and as churches. I have to say, the more I’ve thought about it, the more I can start to understand that practice or theory. We want to spend on things that make life more enjoyable and fun, but we also have to safeguard our future. Spending is fund, saving—not so much. Maybe balance is the answer.

            When I’ve spoken about saving and budgeting with kids, I’ve used a piggy bank that I found online several years ago. It’s similar to the one shown here, although mine is silver. There are four slots in the top. One slot goes to the “save” section, one to the “spend” section, one to the “donate” section and one to the “invest” section. The cool thing is each section also has one of the pig’s feet attached. So once you’re reading to spend your “spend”, you can unscrew the foot that’s labeled “spend” and the money in that section comes out!

            It really helps picture how each piece of money someone has can be utilized. Four slots, four sections, four feet; it’s all a balancing act, isn’t it? Even thought we don’t use a piggy bank with different sections, we have to make choices as to where each piece of our money goes. How do we decide when things are competing against each other?

            An article I recently read said it is a choice, and sometimes the choice seems difficult. However, for the author, maintaining the proper balance isn’t that hard. The author says the key is gratitude—being grateful for what you have, a spontaneous emotion that comes from within. I easily understand that definition, but the author says it’s not just an emotional response, it is a choice.

• ·         We can choose to be grateful, or
• ·         We can choose to be ungrateful – to take what we have for granted.

            What is your choice? What will you choose? Are you grateful for what you have, or just need to keep it all for yourself?

            This are good questions and considerations for each of us as individuals. BUT a church must consider these questions as well. Too often, it seems like a church sits down, focusing on what they have (or more often, on what they don’t have), and spent an entire meeting trying to find a way to fund what they have and what they want, not what is needed by their neighbor, or community, or God.

            So, make your choice!

 

            REMINDER: The Stewardship Academy is being held April 23^rd, May 21^st, June 18^th and July 16^th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you are interested in a registration form or information on the academy itself, please let me know (susanranous@unyumc.org)