“How much do we think about it? How much do we structure our lives and decision-making around it? Of course we need to be wise stewards, but when does that intentionality turn to intimacy and worship? Paul’s plea is a plea for contentment and simplicity, not for relentless counting, budgeting, and price-checking. The goal is not to have very little money, but to think little of money.”     -Marshall Segal

 

Read the rest of Segal’s article here:  A Booby Trap in the Christian Budget

I’ve never had enough of it to go wild with it; never been tempted, say, to fork over a couple grand for a string of pearls or a designer dress.  But that isn’t really the point, is it?  It is the real estate it occupies in our minds and hearts and souls; exacting penny-pinching frugal obsessiveness faring no better than lavish, selfish spending habits.  Even giving, as Segal points out, can become obsessive; we fixate on how much we won’t spend.  

I’d love your feedback on Segal’s article, which I think truly deserving of a slow read.