tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847211149012008703.post5066487896695965302..comments2023-11-03T04:50:42.128-05:00Comments on Confessional Gadfly: Stewardship, Hardness of Heart, and a Fallen WorldRev. Eric J Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747919365522145094noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847211149012008703.post-32687842685770456782010-12-15T16:42:30.935-06:002010-12-15T16:42:30.935-06:00I follow a self-imposed rule that is just a matter...I follow a self-imposed rule that is just a matter of personal conscience:<br /><br />"If it belongs to you, be ready to give it away. If it is something that you have control over that belongs to someone else, keep it protected for them."<br /><br />So if it is my lunch money and someone asks for it, I give it to them. If giving means cutting into my family's grocery money then I keep it (because I have already allocated it to be given it to someone else). This topic is closely tied to the idea of overlapping vocations and who gets priority... it's a personal decision that is made in Christian freedom based on the best available information at the time.<br /><br />...but, in America, what we consider "needs" are just "wants" most of the time so we rarely fall into these really hard giving decisions even though we pretend like we are confronted with hard choices all the time. :PMike Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09202275259518132834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847211149012008703.post-68893619895474608332010-12-15T15:47:29.983-06:002010-12-15T15:47:29.983-06:00The Methodist pastor here on campus actually made ...The Methodist pastor here on campus actually made a good point on this subject. (Don't you hate when that happens.) He said, "Jesus said, 'You will always have the poor with you.' We're never going to be able to take care of everyone in need. There will always be more."Phillipnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847211149012008703.post-12647841745519493212010-12-15T13:03:24.044-06:002010-12-15T13:03:24.044-06:00This gets to the heart of the matter (as I get rea...This gets to the heart of the matter (as I get ready to run into town to pay a fine for someone) - use your sanctified common sense. Be one who gives aid, not a mark. Support your neighbor, but not at the expense of those under your care.<br /><br />Ideally we wouldn't have to have any balance - but in a fallen world, balance can be hard to find.Rev. Eric J Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17747919365522145094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847211149012008703.post-84652532900183028432010-12-15T10:19:19.225-06:002010-12-15T10:19:19.225-06:00Hey, Eric,
thanks for "blowing up" my bl...Hey, Eric,<br />thanks for "blowing up" my blog. Was wondering why there were so many coming over from yours, and why "Random Dude" was so popular, yesterday it was my post on the Pink guy and discerning if you are elect. I have yet to figure out what was driving that. <br />Yeah, I sometimes wonder about the hardness of heart bit. My congregation donates monthly to the food bank, and a Pregnancy Resource Center. These places are set up to help better than I am, to weed out who needs help and who doesn't. I think it is a better use of our time and resources to partner with them.Bror Ericksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06913133289813136695noreply@blogger.com