Fabulously generous

The news network CNN has an interesting tool on its website called the Global Wage Calculator, which you can use to benchmark your annual income both locally and globally. 

Singapore's median annual income in 2021 was S$56k. If you punch this number into the Global Wage Calculator, it will show you that that's higher than the average annual wage for the US, Germany, Canada, France, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and far more than all our regional peers (even adjusted for purchasing power parity). It is 2.3 times the global average wage, 5x of a driver in South Africa, 7x of a cleaner in Thailand, and 14x that of an Ethiopian teacher.

Of the world's population of almost 8 billion people, 30% do not have access to safe drinking water. That's 2.4 billion, a little less than the populations of China and India combined. 13% of the global population also doesn't have access to electricity. 

9%, or 700m people, live in what is defined as extreme poverty i.e. less than US$1.90 per day. For context, the US defines its own poverty line at US$35.28 per day. In other words, if you earn that much in the US, you're already considered very poor. The 700m people in extreme poverty earn 18 times less than that already low level.

If you are reading this blog, just like I'm writing it... we have a mobile phone and an internet connection, and likely some sort of tertiary education. Many of us probably have jobs paying way above the average or median. 

We have homes, maybe cars. We go on holidays. We might have gym subscriptions. We cheerfully pay for cafe coffees, Grab rides and Foodpanda deliveries. We might not think of ourselves as rich (unsurprising - a 2019 study showed that even among millionaires, only 13% thought of themselves as "rich"), but objectively, we're definitely not poor.

It's recorded that John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist church, had just bought some pictures for his room when one of the chambermaids came to his door and he noticed she was only thinly protected against the winter. He reached into his pocket to give her some money to buy a coat, but found he had little left after buying the pictures. And it struck him that God was not pleased with how he had spent his money.

Wesley asked himself, "Will my Master say, "Well done, good and faithful servant?" I have adorned my walls with the money that might have screened this poor maid from the cold! O justice! O mercy! Are these pictures the blood of this poor maid?"

It is believed that partly because of this incident, Wesley began to limit his expenses so he would have more to give to the poor. Each year, though his income rose, often significantly, he kept his expenses the same. He preached that, with increasing income, the Christian's standard of giving should increase, not his standard of living.

[the above account regarding John Wesley is paraphrased from Charles Edward White's book on Lessons on Money]

How many Christians, Methodists or otherwise, continue to follow, or even attempt to follow the example of Wesley?

Confronted with all this context... what is my reaction?

Q: Is Jesus my master?

A: Yes

Q: Did He command me to be generous to the poor with what I have?

A: Yes

Q: Has he put wealth into my hands?

A: By every objective global standard, yes. In fact, the average Singaporean is fabulously wealthy

Q: What does God expect of me then?

A: If I am fabulously wealthy, then I am obliged to be fabulously generous

It's at this point of writing that it gets tempting to say to myself, oh, but God never said we can't have nice things. So please feel guilt free to go on with our wonderful lives, but just don't forget to think about the poor now and then ok? 

But that simply wouldn't be true to Wesley's example, or to Jesus' teaching. God is not some elderly uncle in the corner offering friendly take-it-if-you-like it advice while we get on with our fabulous lives. He is the Master on the throne, Creator and Judge of all the Universe. He speaks, we listen. 

I already have a very comfortable life, which I am thankful for. I have a job, and my country is generally well run. I have a home. I even have a car. I bring my family on holidays. 

I think it's time to tell myself, you know, this is it. I draw the line here as far as extravagance is concerned. In fact, first maybe take 10 long steps back. Here's where extravagance stops, and generosity starts.

It's tempting to acquire and spend more. I confess - for me, earning and spending more has often felt like a badge of success. People see how much you make or how well you live, and they assign you value based on that. Great car? Big house? Fancy food? Must be an awesome guy. No car? Small house? No 'Grammable food pics? What happened to that guy?

I'm certainly not immune to the pressures of keeping up with the Joneses. Pride is a problem. As is the habit of feeding the insatiable appetite of ever increasing consumption.

So God, if You would, break the hold of all that nonsense on my heart. Help me to cap my standard of living, and grow my standard of giving. You are my Audience of One, the only One I'm trying to impress, just because You love me, and I want to love You back better.

Since we surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:1-2

You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked... Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.  Revelation 3:17, 19