Better World Shopper

So I posted on facebook the other day that I found the greatest app of all time and I was totally addicted!

Check it out... Better World Shopper

I discovered it from one of my favorite blogs, Heather Hendrick and her family are missionaries in Haiti. She's currently doing posts on how they came to the decision to move to Haiti and how we can help the poor, whether that means from home or moving somewhere else to serve Him. You guys should check it out if you haven't.

Anyways back to the app. And there is also a book for those of you who don't have an apple device!

I've expressed before on this blog how important it is to me to spend my money wisely and to support companies who make a difference in a good way not a bad way. My wedding anniversary marks exactly one year since I've bought any clothing from a mall (disclosure: I had to buy new work pants and that's not possible to find in a thrift store but I seriously tried.) I've only bought clothing second hand, or from non-profits. I guess I found this app at the perfect timing because now that I've finished the end of my one year commitment I don't want to forget why I made this commitment in the first place. It is so important to me to spend my money in a way that helps others. I personally am not okay with the ways that some companies treat their staff in third world countries. One can argue that those people or in some cases children need the money regardless of how bad their working conditions are. But I know there are still going to be thousands of people buying these products if I stop. I want my money to affect people positively. There is a lot of great organizations that I love that empower women in third world countries and pay them extremely fair wages as well as teach them savings and life skills. These women have dreams and can raise their families on their own. I love that buying these products makes me feel good, and makes me feel like I'm impacting the lives of those less fortunate than me.

So this app is pretty great. It rates companies on five different factors.
1. Human Rights (sweatshops, child labor etc.)
2. The Environment (recycling, renewable energy etc.)
3. Animal Protection (animal testing, factory farming etc.)
4. Community Involvement (volunteer efforts, nonprofit alliances etc.)
5. Social Justice (fair wages, fatalities etc.)

I started this journey hoping that the clothing I could buy would make a difference and support things that were important to me. Now I can try to buy almost everything in a reasonable way. Like this app has everything, from airlines to gas to granola bars to cleaning supplies to gum. Companies are rated on a scale of A to F.

One of the most interesting things that I discovered is that a lot of the companies that advertise the things they are doing in third world countries, didn't actually do that good. And some companies that have come under a really bad rap for sweatshops etc. actually had way higher grades than I thought they would. I guess that just reminds me that advertising is that, advertising and tries to convince us to buy the product no matter what that means.

I'm really excited that I feel I can make informed decisions about what cleaning supplies I buy and also how I grocery shop. For some people this doesn't matter and I understand that. But for me it is really important and I will switch what I usually buy if it means the new product will make a better impact on the world. Check it out and make a decision for yourself and your life. Whatever that means. For me its drastic but maybe for you its baby steps and that's okay. We have a lot of opportunities to make an impact in this world and how we spend our money is one of the largest ways we can make an impact!

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

Mark 10:17-31

"As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” "Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 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.” The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

When you read this passage what are the first thoughts that enter your mind?

Mine aren't that holy, they go something like this:

Aren't we saved by grace? So why should I sell everything if I'm getting into heaven anyways, plus my possession don't have that much of a hold on me so He wouldn't call me to something so extreme.

HAHAHAH

That's the sound of God laughing at my ignorance in heaven. Well I don't know that He would laugh, maybe it would be tears that I was missing the whole point. He likely mourns that I would so blatantly ignore His Holy Word and assume that it does not apply to me.

Here are the questions that have really hit me lately?

Do I really believe the Bible?

If yes, then why do I as a Christian think it's okay to skip over the hard stuff, to take the easy way, and to live my life as comfortably as possible.

Not once in the Bible does God call us to live a comfortable life. He calls us to sacrifice IT ALL for His glory, and for His name.

So what does this verse have to teach me?

No, I'm not rich by North American standards. But compared to the rest of the world, I guess I'm rolling in it. I have access to water, I have transportation, I have education, I have a job, I have a roof over my head, I have three meals a day. The truth is that is not that case for most of the world.

In this verse Jesus commands us to total surrender, He is telling us that unless we are ready to follow Him with everything we have, and unless we are willing to sacrifice all He has given us, don't bother. He turned this man away from being a Christian by commanding Him to do the one thing he wouldn't want to do. Give it all away. Does that mean that we all need to sell everything to follow Him. No! Salvation is earned by grace alone, but the more I learn about the Bible and Jesus the more I see that if you are His follower, it shows. It is evident in your life. Our love of Jesus should flow through our words, thoughts and actions. He could be calling me to sell it all. David Platt's Radical challenges calls you to pray over every single budget item you are spending money on monthly and ask God if that is how He wants you to spend that money, or if it should be going elsewhere. We don't ask God how to spend our money because we are scared of the answer, but this leads to my second point.

Many who are last, will be first. And many who are first, will be last. This isn't it. We are called to live our lives for God on this earth where it isn't easy, but as Christians we know that our reward is much greater on the other side. God doesn't call us to sell it all to make our lives miserable (in fact most people who sell everything to serve others find great joy and fulfillment, I don't think there are very many of them who miss their nice home and cars once they have had their eyes opened to real need) He calls us to sell it all and follow Him so that our reward in Heaven will be greater! He calls us to this because He loves us!

Jesus also wants us to know that our "stuff" can kill us.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 says "A devout life does bring wealth, but it's the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that's enough. But if it's only money these leaders are after, they'll self-destruct in no time. Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after."

Wealth can cause us to lose our faith completely. Wow.

Verses 17-19 follow with, "Tell those rich in this world's wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they'll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life."

Tell them to go after God. I guess that's the point loud and clear. That's our purpose, that's our focus.

So now I'm left asking God how and what. I will admit it's scary. I don't know if I want to be homeless during a Manitoba winter. I don't know if I want to sell my car and walk to work every day. So I pray. I listen. I seriously consider what I spend my money on. I pray that if or when He calls me to something hard I will be willing to listen and go through with it. I ask Him what He wants me to give up so that someone else can eat, or go to school, or drink clean water. I want to serve Him with my life and I really don't need most of the stuff that I've sacrificed. My life is still happy and full in spite of what has been sacrificed. But I'm still working, and I know there are things that I am still holding onto and that will be really hard to give up when God calls me to sacrifice them. But I pray that He will prepare my heart for that time and that I'll be ready to follow His plan.

So I urge you to pray about your budget. Find one thing you spend money on every month that you could sacrifice to give to someone in need. It's not that hard. I seriously believe if you ask God if there is something He wants you to sacrifice for someone else.... He will probably answer. After all we serve a God who loves the least of these, who commands us to help the poor, widow and the orphan. He will answer if you ask how you can help these people because He loves them, just as much as He loves us. 

And isn't His love good?

Alisa