Living without money? Is this possible you may ask. Well, a German woman Heidimarie Schwermer 69 having been living without money for the past 15 years. Her story seems amazing and incredible, but she is proving it can be done.
My question is whether such lifestyle is Biblical. Jesus was certainly born into a poor family. In fact from the Bible stories, you can see that he had very little possessions. But Jesus did not expect His disciples to give up everything in order to follow Him. Joseph of Arimathea was described as "a rich man" and "a disciple" of Jesus.
Consider Paul's instruction to Timothy regarding rich people:
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:17-19
We are to live simple, generous and with contentment that is the command in the Bible. We are not to indulge in anything in excess otherwise it will be idolatry. We are to be generous to the needy I Timothy 6:18. God also commanded us to be content with whatever we have. "...be content whatever the circumstances. Philippians 4:11 The Bible also said "Godliness with contentment is great gain". 1 Timothy 6:6
John Stott commented about riches in his book "Issues Facing Christians Today" "We cannot maintain a "good life" ( of extravagance) and a "good conscience" simultaneously. One or the other has to be sacrificed.". Christians have to live simply and not to hog riches, be generous to the needy.
Well, these are some thoughts about Biblical teaching of living simple, generous and content life. What Heidimarie is doing is biblical but it is indeed a tremendous challenge to take up such lifestyle.
Perhaps to a certain extend one can consider swapping goods and service, that is barter for the goods and service you needed. E.g you give someone a haircut, and she teach you how to cook a dish you like.
To read the full article click on the title of this post.
Video of Living with Money
Video of swapping services
No comments:
Post a Comment