IV. Vows
of Voluntary Sacrifice
“We freely offer up
our appetites, wealth, and pride to relieve the suffering of the world, for the
sake of our neighbors and God’s joy.”
- I will discipline my appetite for possessions through limiting acquisition of things to my true needs; through treating all my possessions and wealth as a trust from God for extending God’s blessings to the suffering in the world; through sharing generously with my neighbors; and by consuming conscientiously and simply so that I do not deprive others of the means to live.
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| ("Money Chain" by Nina Helmer via Flickr) |
Without looking very
hard I can find evidence that our stuff can easily own us, control us, rob life
from us. What’s a bit more difficult to see is that when I am distracted by,
anxious about, pursuing after and consuming all the stuff that has been
marketed to entice me, I am less able to live a life of compassion and
reconciliation with my neighbor as well. My inward focus on my desires and
needs, the anxiety about whether there will be enough, my drive to protect what
I do have from others (or have someone ensure its protection), or the energy
expended in the acquisition of the next thing (and paying off the last one)—all
this takes great time and energy in our lives; time we can’t use to pursue God
and serve our neighbor. Jesus must have
been on to something when he said we can’t serve two masters, God or mammon!
It’s a tough saying: You serve God alone or you don’t
serve God at all. Being mastered by God means that the rest of stuff in life,
even if it doesn’t just fall away, no longer controls us. Everything that used
to interfere with serving God (and our neighbor)—our jobs, our property, our
investments, our debts, our tuition costs, our rent, our clothes, houses,
food—these worries we are called to let go of. We are no longer their slaves. As you consider today’s vow, consider this
quote:
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| ("Wishing Well" by Kayla Saywer via Flickr) |
"We cannot begin to liberate others from economic injustice without
liberating ourselves from our own materialism. Our own spiritual development is
the foundation and essential starting place for building economic justice. When
compassion becomes more important than our comfort we are off to a good start.”
(– November 2011 Peace Memo,
Our efforts to be liberated from storing up treasures on
earth are not simply a stalwart moral task of gritting our teeth and saying
“No!” to money’s entanglements in our life. Our call is a in life-giving terms:
We are freed from our bondage to mammon by first saying “Yes!” to God and God’s
kingdom, and by extension, God’s community of people. We still say “No” to the
worrisome demands of money, but only insofar as we are energized, equipped,
made ready by our new master. We are
only able to break free of the old and give it a confident kick out the door
when we have searched first for God, our new leader, and committed a courageous
“Yes!”
Let us seek God's
kingdom with a resounding "Yes!" today as we practice this vow: “I will discipline my appetite for
possessions through limiting acquisition of things to my true needs; through
treating all my possessions and wealth as a trust from God for extending God’s
blessings to the suffering in the world; through sharing generously with my
neighbors; and through consuming conscientiously and simply so that I do not
deprive others of the means to live.”
For Reflection and
Action:
Find a companion and read Luke 12:13-38 together.
Name all the moments in your life today that had any connection to money, property or
possessions.
1.
Which of those moments were life-giving for you?
Which were draining?
2.
Which helped you connect in healthy ways to
people around you? Which ones got in the way of compassionate relationships
with others, yourself, the creation, or God?
3.
What financial and consumer habits, thoughts,
desires or anxieties might God be calling you to let go of in order to better
love God and neighbor? How is God calling you to strive for God’s kingdom
today?
Prayer Focus
Providing God,
Thank you that you have created a world of
abundance, of enough for everyone.
Forgive me for the ways I have consumed more
than my share,
leaving less for the one in need,
filling my life fuller than I need,
leaving scars on an overburdened world.
Forgive me for the times I have cared more
about my stuff than about my neighbor,
more about my financial security than about
you.
Grant an end to my worries, to my greed.
I will seek my treasure in you. Amen!
