Are we obligated? The 1% statistic and the rich young ruler
A revised statistic — earning over about $32,000 puts a household in the world's top 1% — pushes a host to reconsider whether generosity is obligatory after all. The room treats the rich young ruler not as a command for everyone to liquidate, but as an open inventory: be ready to say 'heck yes, what can I get rid of to make this happen' if God calls, and be more gracious than the first gut reaction while avoiding the second, over-logical reaction that cuts everything short.
More on Generosity
-
Dear LFTP: the $4,200 loan that never came back
- How do I get past the sadness over the $4,200 loan my friend never repaid — do I just let it go?
The final Dear LFTP letter: a year ago a supposed friend asked to borrow money — her husband had left the country to renew his visa, her car was repossessed, she had no way to get to work.
From No. 603 · Found Out
-
Dear LFTP: the $600 lawnmower and buying them a mower
- My nephew's wife took my $600, lied about it, and is avoiding me. Should I say something or let it go?
Mike reads a letter from someone who gave a nephew's wife $600 for a self-propelled lawnmower; she spent it, never bought the mower, and now avoids them.
From No. 587 · Coffee After Sunday
-
Dear LFTP: the neighbor Tim and boundaries without guilt
- How can I end the friendship with my difficult neighbor Tim without sending him into a spiral?
Mike reads a letter from a self-described clean-freak friend of a hoarding, narcissistic, government-program neighbor named Tim: how to end the friendship without sending Tim into a spiral.
From No. 582 · Risky Business | Christian Risk-Taking, Community Engagement, Faith in Action
-
Dear LFTP: the $99 birthday bill and "Jesus always pays"
- Was it wrong to be taken aback when I was expected to split the cost of a friend's birthday dinner?
Mike reads a letter from a man invited to a friend's birthday dinner at a popular restaurant: after the birthday boy excused himself, the waiter presented the bill and the nine…
From No. 580 · Not Sure | Old Testament Law, Holy Spirit Guidance, Christian Discernment