In the early 1900’s, the luxury ocean liner The Queen Mary was used to entertain the wealthy on the water, where they could eat on fine china and enjoy the best things in life. During WWII, the liner was re-purposed as a navy ship, and its 3,000 beds gave way for 15,000 bunks, and its china for metal cafeteria trays for soldiers.
In the United States during the Second World War, many people gave up material things to provide for the war. “The government imposed widespread austerities on its citizens in the form of commodity rationing, including food, gasoline and other commodities essential to the war. Travel restrictions were imposed, wages and work hours were fixed, and new automobile manufacturing was stopped as plants which previously made cars turned out tanks, Jeeps and other military vehicles.” http://www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/11/goverment-austerity-measures.asp?partner=sfgate#ixzz1QD7VAxFR
Americans knew they were at war, and many were willing to make these sacrifices in order to win the war.
Ralph Winter, the founder of the US Center for World Mission and Perspectives, wrote that we Christians should consider adopting a wartime lifestyle because we are also at war. We are fighting for the souls of humanity!
How would this look?
In essence, a wartime lifestyle means to use only what we truly need so that we can free resources for the battle. Some practical ideas are:
- Live with a cap on your income, no matter how many raises you get in the future. Use the extra for missions, especially for unreached people groups.
- Do not buy what you do not need. Do not live to keep up with your community and your neighbors.
- View your job as a chance to earn money to invest in God’s kingdom, not just as a way to finance your own dreams and purchases.
- Steward your time so that you can invest in ministry. Rather than work overtime, but if you are able, donate time to your church or to a mission group – or just use that time to pray for the world.
- Scale down your possessions so you spend less time, energy and money on them. For example, live in a smaller home that costs less and needs less maintenance. Exchange a luxury car for a simpler one that doesn’t use as much gas or involve a monthly payment. (That is better for the environment – but more on that at another time!) See www.junkycarclub.com
- If you are ready to retire, and are in good health, pray about starting a new career in missions, disaster relief, skills training for the poor, etc.
- Start small: empty your loose change into a jar and collect that for missions. It could be over $100 a year.
- Pray and invest in learning, ministering and equipping others to fight this battle.
It is SO HARD to live simply when all around us we are tempted to consume, enjoy, and live for only ourselves. As one author writes, “Obedience to the Great Commission has more consistently been poisoned by affluence than by anything else.” http://www.puritanboard.com/f36/commitment-wartime-lifestyle-47194/
I need to remember that I have been given resources for one purpose – to magnify God.
Is Christ is my treasure? Do I want the world to know Him too? Do I value Him more than my possessions?
If so, then as John Piper says, I can live free from the need to live the American (or Canadian, etc.) dream.
I am free to live for the cause of Love on the Calvary road, full of joy, and for His glory.