Re: Modesty & Simplicity
Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2017 9:47 pm
If we literally are to follow Jesus as He lived during His ministry years, we would not have a permanent place to lay our heads. We would be totally dependent on others. We wouldn't own much more than the clothes on our back.RZehr wrote: Is there anything in owning these things that militate against following Jesus, for the one owning them, or for others looking on?
I don't believe people with lots of material stuff are prevented from becoming a follower of Jesus if they don't love their stuff over loving Jesus. And as they grow spiritually, they become more aware of how they can use their stuff to benefit others and be used to further the Kingdom.
People looking on will and do make wrong judgments. If we are accused of being or doing something that is untrue we don't need to be concerned about it. Actually Jesus said if they say all manner of evil against us falsely for His name sake we can rejoice for great is our reward in heaven. We don't live our lives based on unbelievers views of what a Christian should be like unless those criticisms line up with God's word and we are convicted by the Holy Spirit regarding them. We are to point people to Christ and His perfections. Jesus said our lights are shone through our good deeds. Most people have trouble picking on good deeds.
I don't believe becoming a follower of Jesus means literally selling all you have and becoming poor yourself. But as we grow spiritually we desire to use whatever we have to further God's Kingdom.
In my experience, serious unbelievers looking on are looking for a new beginning, what God does in our hearts (love, joy, peace, loving others, etc) and not so much the kind of material things we have or our outward adornments.