W illiam C arey , the consecrated cobbler turned mis sionary, gave $400,000 to missions during his years as a servant of the Lord in India. How did he do it? Carey went to the mission field with a salary of $250 a year. While in India he was hired by the government to teach in a university at $7,500 a year. Carey continued to live on $250, giving the rest to the work of the Lord. That was planned poverty. As a youth, John Wesley began working for $150 a year. He gave $10 to the Lord. His salary was doubled the second year, but Wesley continued to live on $140, giving $160 to Christian work. During his third year Wesley received $600. He kept $140 while $460 was given to the Lord. That was planned poverty. During his life George Mueller received and expended five-and-a-half million dollars. When he died there was less than one thousand dollars to his credit in the bank. His life not only demonstrated that God was faithful in the supplying of every need, but that George Mueller was self-disciplined in the stewardship of the money the Lord entrusted to him. Robert Atherton, who was reared in luxury, gave $5,- 000,000 to the work of the Lord. He did not do it without sacrificial living. A letter received from a missionary in China read, “Were I in England again, I would gladly live in one room, make the floor my bed, a box my chair, another my table, rather than that the heathen should perish for lack of knowledge of Christ.” Atherton followed these suggestions almost to the letter for the rest of his life. His own deliberate planned poverty enabled him to give a fortune toward the publication of the Word of God in numerous languages. William Borden died before his 26th birthday. He had given his entire fortune of $25,000,000 to the work of the Lord before going out as a missionary. That was pur poseful poverty. Mr. and Mrs. C. T. Studd were living under frugal conditions as missionaries in China, when they received word of their share of the family inheritance. One hun dred and fifty thousand dollars were to be theirs. After prayerful consideration, the entire amount was given to various Gospel ministries. In the many years of service for Christ which followed, C. T. Studd and his family experienced the joy of living by faith. And what about Moses who rejected the name, the fame, the power, and the wealth of Egypt only to suffer affliction with the children of Israel? His choice was pre meditated. He “ esteemed the reproach of ChHst greater riches .than the treasures in Egypt.” We are told concerning the churches of Macedonia that “in most difficult circumstances, their joy and the fact of being down to their last penny themselves, pro duced a magnificent concern for other people. I can guar antee that they were willing to give to the limit of their
means, yes, beyond their means, without the slightest urging from me or anyone else. “ In fact, they simply begged us to accept their gifts and so let them share in the honor of supporting their brothers in Christ. Nor was their gift, as I must confess I had expected, a mere cash payment. Instead, they made a complete dedication of themselves, first to the Lord, and then to us as God’s appointed ministers.” (II Cor. 8:2-5 Phillip’s translation) One wonders if it was not the sacrificial spirit of Paul which inspired the deliberate and dedicated frugality of the churches in Macedonia. Paul’s walk with God was one of planned poverty. He counted all personal profit but refuse in the light of eternity. Paul in turn walked in the footsteps of his Master who “though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich.” The “planned poverty” in which our Lord lived was deliberate and purposeful. There was nothing hasty or unconsidered about it. The plan was conceived from be fore the foundation of the world. The purpose was that we might enjoy eternal riches. How great was that sac rifice and how deep the poverty only heaven will reveal. In the bright light of our Lord’s example we dare not allow our giving to grow out of the shallow ground of spasmodic emotional stirrings. There must be some thing deep, deliberate, and disciplined about true stew ardship. The work of the Lord cannot thrive on the fringe benefits of our income. Poverty-stricken souls who are without hope and without God will never enter into the riches of grace in Christ apart from planned poverty in the lives of God’s children. Where is the housewife who could not set aside an extra $1.00 a week from the food budget? What would happen if 100,000 wives began to do this? Multiply their sacrifice by 52 weeks a year and you get a little concep tion of the tremendous outreach for God they would have. Where is the layman who could not save $1.00 a week by dropping a few of the inconsequential luxuries which he rather habitually enjoys? What would happen if only a million laymen canceled their subscriptions to a secular magazine for a year? Would it mean four million dollars for missions? What would happen if the golf course, the bowling alley, the fishing trip, or even chew ing gum were sacrificed (?) for the sake of missions? Before you do your Christmas shopping, take a second look at the drab stable and the cold, barren Bethlehem manger. Then remember the cozy comfort into which your babes were born. Is our Lord worthy of anything less than planned poverty on our part? Are the souls for which He died deserving of anything less than that sacrifice which will enable them to hear the gospel of His love? The message of the manger is planned poverty.
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DECEMBER, 1962
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