"Choose which Lifestyle"

           For God o loved the world 

                     that He gave

                     John 3:16

     The word "Lifestyle" has been popular for several decades. In simplest terms, this word denotes how we live from a financial standpoint, the possession we chose to buy and how much money we have to spend.

      A great deal is being written these days about the simple life downshifting or downscaling. At the same time, we see an ongoing exaltation in our culture of all that is "excessive." As a nation, we seem to love peering into the lifestyles of the rich and famous. We envy them. Every few minutes television  commercials tell us to buy more and and better possessions.

       The two paths one toward a materially leaner life and the other toward a materially fatter life are like opposite lanes on a highway. We are seeking to discard and downsize, or to acquire and add.

        The Scriptures call us to neither a Spartan  nor an opulent lifestyle, but rather, to a lifestyle of geneousity a life without greed or hoarding. A life of giving freely, a life of putting everything we have at God's  disposal. Our lifestyle is not about how much we earn, what we own, or where we travel and reside. It's how we relate to other people and how willing we are to share all we have with them.

       In Visions if a world  hungry, Thomas G. Petterpiece offers this prayer. "Lord, help me choose a simpler lifestyle that promotes solidarity with the world's poor afford greater opportunity to work together with my neighbors"

       As you touch your various possessions throughout the day from the appliances in your home to your clothing and your vehicle as yourself . Would I be willing to loan, give, or share this with other people?" Then ask the even tougher question, Do i actually share, loan, or give of my substance on a regular basis to other?"