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“But godliness is a great enrichment when it is combined with contentment. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” (1 Timothy 6:6-8)
Human beings, once created by God to rule the earth, are often viewed by many companies merely as target groups, customers, and consumers. They are seen as someone who consumes and uses. Therefore, companies dedicate themselves to researching human needs in order to place the right advertising and the right product at the perfect time. Furthermore, they not only focus on the product itself, but also on securing the necessary financing, thus plunging people deeper and deeper into debt and dependency.
People who have learned to live frugally develop a deep reverence for God as a result of God's grace.
Humans quickly get caught in a cycle of creating needs, working, and consuming to satisfy those needs, only to then create new needs again. What does the Bible say about this consumerist zeitgeist? God frees us from all bondage to sin in this world and from all dependencies. His answer to a world full of consumerism and a focus on luxury is contentment!
Human beings with their needs
Every person in this world has needs from birth that must be met. A small child needs clothing, food, and lots of love. These needs are met daily by many parents around the world. Children who grow up in such conditions are happy and lack nothing. Children's needs are clear, unambiguous, and relatively easy to fulfill.
The Bible teaches us to be diligent and to go to work in order to meet the daily needs of our lives and those of our families, and to have a roof over our heads. The Bible considers diligence a precious asset, as we can read in the Proverbs of Solomon (see Proverbs 12:27).
As people grow up and age, they make new discoveries. They discover the pleasures of the eyes and the flesh. Entirely new, sometimes unattainable, needs arise in the human heart. They develop dreams, wishes, and desires that are awakened and fueled by our media environment, advertising, and the wealthy people around us.
The Bible describes these needs as follows: “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:16). In this state, people are primarily concerned with themselves, their needs, and the fulfillment of precisely those needs. They see themselves as the center and focus of their lives and have the great task of satisfying their desires and interests.
The world's deception – wealth as the solution to all needs
People are led to believe that wealth offers a life of happiness, heavily influenced by the media and advertising around us. This creates a powerful desire for riches. Almost everyone has dreamt at some point of being able to buy anything they want: driving the fastest car in the world or living in a beautiful villa with a pool.
Many believe the lie that wealth can alleviate many worries, especially the fear of poverty, and thus bring a life of happiness. This, in turn, ultimately leads to a love of money and wealth. If people are not vigilant and cautious at this point, this love of money will eventually destroy all human relationships and, above all, the connection to God.
The desire to satisfy more of our needs tempts people to over-prioritize their work and the income it generates, taking every job offered. Sometimes it even leads them to work late into the night. This vicious cycle seems endless, as the economy around us constantly produces new products and continually creates new needs.
But the Bible warns us against precisely this and clearly shows us where this path leads: to fall and ruin (see Proverbs 11:28). Wealth brings down every person. The worries that arise in the pursuit of wealth, in order to become carefree, are transformed into new worries about how to maintain and increase that wealth. The love of money is a desire that can never be satisfied.
In an interview with one of the world's richest men, a journalist asked when one has enough money. The wealthy man replied that it's enough when one has a little more than one currently possesses. We see that wealth and the pursuit of it repeatedly lead people down the wrong path and away from their true goals.
The Bible views diligence as a precious wealth, as we can read in the Proverbs of Solomon.
Jesus warned His disciples and followers about this, saying: “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God’” (Matthew 19:23-24).
The transformation of thinking through God
God never abandons us and has a way out for every temptation, every new trend, and every problem on this earth. He offers everyone the opportunity to clearly structure their thoughts, goals, and needs, to prioritize them correctly, and to fulfill them at the right time. He offers people a new life independent of consumerism and the prevailing trends of this world. He wants to free everyone from the lust of the eyes, the desires of the flesh, and the pride of life. To this end, He personally invites everyone: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Jesus offers to free us from all the burdens of this world. This happens when we begin to believe in Jesus Christ and make Him the center of our hearts. When we give Jesus space in our lives, He will begin to bring order and structure to our hearts and minds. He may even act harshly and radically, as He did in the Temple in Jerusalem (see Matthew 21:12-13). However, the guarantee is that, as in the Temple in Jerusalem, great deeds of God can then occur in our lives, and much good will befall people.
Jesus must be the center of our lives as we begin to subordinate our ego and our needs to Him. This creates a completely new way of thinking, and our own needs fade into the background. Jesus conveys this message to His disciples in the Gospel of Matthew: “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:31-34).
Here we see the transformation of people who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and make Him their center. The worries about satisfying daily needs, which have guided and driven a person, fade into the background. Not wealth and money take away our worries, but only Jesus Christ. He makes it clear here that He knows our needs and will never abandon us.
He even goes so far as to want to take these worries away from us completely. But why does He want to do that? So that every person—you and I—can grapple with life's most important question and make the right decision anew each day. Seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness must become our primary need. The desire to satisfy this need will ultimately free us from all earthly needs. We will be so absorbed and occupied by it that we will have no time left for plans involving large purchases or projects, or for acquiring wealth. Our hearts will be fully occupied with leading people to Jesus.
Frugality – a fruit of God's grace
When we surrender our lives to Jesus, we quickly discover that Jesus has a different perspective and a completely different understanding of how our needs can be met, because He wants to address our daily worries and needs. We must learn to accept this path and gratefully receive from His hand. Paul describes this new virtue in his life in 2 Corinthians 12:9 as a fruit of grace: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
Three times in his life, Paul called upon God to remove the thorn from his life. Some theologians speak of an illness here, others of Paul's difficult life path. But God's answer is clear and unambiguous: My grace is sufficient for you. In other words, God tells Paul that he has received grace. This grace is sufficient to bless, anoint, and use him in his life.
God's grace is the greatest gift He gives to humankind; it is priceless and irreplaceable. Because Paul received this gift of grace without merit or any achievement, he must content himself with what God gives him. God could, of course, free Paul from this thorn, but at this moment, He allows Paul to live in contentment.
Frugality is a consequence of grace in our lives. Many world religions proclaim a life of frugality as a life of peace and inner tranquility. However, it is nothing more than human wisdom, ideology, or even a particular kind of self-control. In the Christian faith, frugality is a consequence of the grace that God bestows upon humankind. In His omnipotence, God could give Christians all the money and luxuries on earth. However, He knows how detrimental such a life is for people, so He gives them what is most important in life: grace and the resulting salvation. He frees us from all guilt and gives us new meaning in life.
Through this realization that God has bestowed immeasurable grace upon them, true Christians can live contentedly. They understand that God has given them what is most important in life and accept their circumstances with the goal of living a true life in the new Jerusalem at the Lord's side. This allows them to live a life of contentment and satisfaction, always striving for the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
How does frugality affect everyday life in practice?
One evening, after a day at Bible school, I was having dinner with a friend, the esteemed pastor, Bible school teacher, and Doctor of Theology, Igor Asanov, from Belarus. I asked him if it was bad for a Christian to have a well-paying job. His answer was this: Work and live, accept what God has given you in your life. You have received a large family from God; your children will depend on all your help, especially financial help.
It is not wealth and money that take away our worries, but Jesus Christ alone.
One important thing you must always remember in your life: Don't become blind and don't focus only on your own life and that of your family. Pay attention to the needs of the people around you and be ready to help them, especially those in your community. If you buy your son a bicycle, look around to see if someone else needs one but can't afford it.
The Bible calls us to work and provide for our livelihood. Paul himself set an example for us and exhorted us in his letter to the Thessalonians to lead an honest life. “You yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, for we did not live disorderly among you, nor did we eat bread without paying, but we worked hard day and night, toiling and laboring, so as not to be a burden to any of you. Not that we were without right, but we wanted to give you an example, that you should imitate us. For while we were with you, we gave you this command: ‘If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.’ For we hear that some of you are living disorderly lives, not working but pursuing useless pursuits. To such people we command and exhort on behalf of our Lord Jesus Christ, to earn their own living by quiet work. But you, brothers and sisters, do not grow weary of doing good.” (2 Thessalonians 3:7-13).
"God's grace - the greatest gift - should be enough for us."
Therefore, it is our duty to provide for our lives and the lives of our families. However, this worry can quickly become overwhelming, because, as described at the beginning, we and especially our children are heavily influenced by advertising, so that worries can quickly become immense. The Bible therefore warns us to remember that we should not only provide for our own families with our income, but that we should always give a portion to the Lord's good work.
In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul gives us an example: “In a great trial of distress, their overflowing joy and their deep poverty brought forth the treasures of their generosity. For they were generous according to their means—indeed, I testify, even beyond their means—and they urged us with much persuasion to accept their gift of love and their fellowship in the ministry of the saints” (2 Corinthians 8:2-4).
It is therefore our duty to give both money and time to the Lord with a willing and joyful heart. This does not mean that we should not save, for example, to prevent unplanned expenses at home, which is natural and necessary. However, our goal should not be a full bank account, but rather to continually give, to bestow, and to help. This draws God's blessing upon our homes, and we will experience God's love in our lives with great intensity through helping hands. "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7).
God loves people who give and donate on His behalf and always keep one thing in mind: to do good and use all their abilities for the Lord.
How can I become more frugal?
A life of contentment is not necessarily a life of poverty. God gives to each person differently, and all who have understood and experienced His grace will be able to lead a contented life with what God gives them. Solomon emphasizes this in the book of Ecclesiastes: “Therefore I have praised joy, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be merry, so that these things will accompany them in their toil all the days of their life that God gives them under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 8:15).
True contentment is primarily characterized by being satisfied with what God gives me. Jealousy and envy of others' possessions corrode life and awaken strong desires within us that lead away from the path of truth. Am I willing to bless people even if they own a nicer house or a nicer car? Only when I am able to rejoice in my fellow human beings do I live in true contentment. In my heart, there arises not envy, but joy and compassion for my fellow human beings.
I experienced this joy on a mission trip to Moldova, where the presiding bishop of Moldova, Brother Peter Borsch, shared his delight with me about a new car belonging to another pastor. He was simply overjoyed that this pastor was now well provided for.
The question of how I can become more frugal can be answered in three points:
- Is my monthly income sufficient to cover my expenses, or am I constantly dependent on bank loans or other people lending me money? The Bible calls us to meet our needs through daily work (see 2 Thessalonians 3:7-13). Therefore, if my normal daily working hours (8 hours in Germany) are not enough to meet my needs, I must find a new job or adjust my approach to meeting my needs.
- Can I give a tenth of my income to the Lord each month in the form of a donation to my church? In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus calls us to do this (cf. Mt 23:23). If my needs no longer allow me to do so, I am not living a frugal life, but rather being strongly influenced by my high expectations.
- Do I see the suffering in poor countries and around me? Am I willing to donate to help the poor and hungry? In the Proverbs of Solomon, we see the blessing that comes from such acts: “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for their good deed” (Proverbs 19:17). Through Mission Stephanus in our brotherhood, we have wonderful opportunities to send donations of goods and money to poor countries around the world. We can also travel ourselves and do good around the globe. By sponsoring orphans or abandoned elderly people, we can make a monthly contribution to a good cause.
Frugality is characterized by managing God's gifts wisely and still having enough money left over to give to the church and the poor. With what I have left over, I may, of course, build a nice house for my family, drive a good car, and enjoy spending quality time with my family on vacation. All these things are good in moderation. However, none of them should consume me or become the largest and most important part of my life, as Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians (see 1 Corinthians 6:12).
True wealth: fear of God combined with contentment!
People who have learned to live contentedly develop a deep reverence for God as a result of God's grace. They understand the words Paul addresses to Timothy (cf. 1 Tim 6:6-8). Their lives are worthless because they brought nothing into this earth. They were born naked and penniless, and all their possessions, all their intellectual knowledge, come from the Lord. They understand that all their abilities have one source: their God.
The vicious cycle of satisfying needs seems never to end, because the economy constantly produces new products and continually awakens new needs.
On this earth, there is nothing they can take with them, for everything is temporary. Therefore, they focus their lives solely on the eternal and no longer on the temporal. This new way of thinking distinguishes true, born-again Christians and elevates them above all philosophers, thinkers, scientists, and scholars.
Every decision they make regarding money and time is made in the fruit of God; they increasingly place their resources at the Lord's disposal. The fear of God becomes the defining element of their thoughts, actions, desires, and dreams. Their treasures are in heaven, where neither moths nor rust can destroy them, nor can thieves steal them (cf. Mt 6:20).
Many men of God, who still serve as examples for me today, have walked this path and completed it in contentment and fear of God. I sincerely wish for all of us to live and end a life of contentment and fear of God.
Jakob Vasilyev
Municipality of Molbergen