Q26. Comfort and Luxury

[bower]

Q2. (5:5-6) What is the spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury? Extra credit: How might our demand for low-priced goods and services cause us to (1) oppress our own employees or (2) cause workers in this country or abroad to be under paid or oppressed? How does all this relate to the need for patience?

Needs and Greeds surfaces for me in this question. Comfort and luxury assume top billing in our daily lives and a disposable income, obsolete goods and competative buying removes any thought or loyalty to companies and workers.

[Ramon]

Q2. (5:5-6) What is the spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury? Extra credit: How might our demand for low-priced goods and services cause us to (1) oppress our own employees or (2) cause workers in this country or abroad to be under paid or oppressed? How does all this relate to the need for patience?

Answer:

1. What is the spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury?

That we become complacent in Life,and think that all this Luxuries are part of because of the Goodnss that we have done.In fact some people relate riches,and luxuries as Gods response to the goodness, religiousity of a person

[ljmnkscart]

The danger is in our pursuit of these comforts and luxuries is that it makes us focus on acquiring these things and take our focus off of what our purpose in life is---- to please God. Therefore we should be seeking God and His kingdom first and then God will or may bless us materially. This demand for low-priced goods and services make owners or employers to require their workers to work hard, long hours for minimum or under minimum pay. And the governments allow it. The poor cannot live off of the wages that so many of these companies pay. The companies have to have a certain amount of profit to be able to live the lifestyle that they want. In relation to patience, a person needs to seek God first and wait on Him to supply them with these other things. Wait on God so that you can acquire them in the right way not cheating and lying to get what you want. Waiting on God teaches you humility and patience.

[RodR]

James doesn’t condemn the rich. He warns them of relying on their riches for their security. Greed is the spiritual danger faced by those who are rich in this world.

James mentions three specific indications of misuse of wealth caused by greed. The first is hording it, the second is treating others unfairly in order to gain it or keep it, and the third is living a self-indulgent lifestyle not considering others needs.

It’s easy for the rich (all of us) to turn “wants” into “necessities” and “necessities” into “expectations” and “expectations” into “entitlements” regardless of the effect that has on others or on future generations.

[Old Jerry]

The spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury is that we will forgo our Christian outlook on the world. We will start to endorse the worldly values.

The demand for low-priced goods and services causes to oppress our own employees and the workers in this country and abroad to be underpaid or oppresses because they are trying to make a living also and if we don’t pay a fair price for the goods then they will be deprived.

[ragnew]

(5:5-6) What is the spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury? Extra credit: How might our demand for low-priced goods and services cause us to (1) oppress our own employees or (2) cause workers in this country or abroad to be under paid or oppressed? How does all this relate to the need for patience?

There is a danger that in these last days, when we should be devoting ourselves even more fully to the furtherance of the Gospel, that instead we will only be focused on ourselves and our own desires and pleasures to the point that we would even trample other righteous people in order to satisfy ourselves.

To be sure the availability of cheap "stuff" has made us increasingly materialistic without even a thought of the high human price that is paid to produce cheap merchandise. Instead of rushing off to buy cart loads of cheap "stuff" we would be better off to pray for God to provide our needs. I've been amazed many times to see how God provides if I just sit back and wait for Him to work, but this requires patience. There have been other times that I've rushed ahead and bought things we needed even though we couldn't afford them at the time, only later to have it revealed that God was going to provide for that need without my jumping ahead.

[Guitar Jim]

Q2. (5:5-6) What is the spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury?

 

There's nothing wrong with a comfortable life and luxury, as long as we don't get it via oppressing others. That's what James is talking about here. We ask God to provide luxuries and then are surprised when He doesn't comply! We ask from wrong impure motives. Then, some people's idea of luxury items is another's idea of basic necessities. A color TV, a computer, a car (or two), a huge lavishly furnished home, every modern appliance (especially a dishwasher), a private school for the kids . . . all these things are considered basics by many afluent people while the working poor would kill for them.

The spiritual danger from chasing after more and more consumer goods is that we lose sight of what we should be spending our money on. "Can't put much in the offering plate this week because I just spent heaps on an even bigger flat screen TV. The four feet wide one wan't doing the job."

i agree wholeheartedly with Pastor Ralph about the Sunday night services falling by the wayside. People are staying home to watch TV . . . and they're watching Big Brother, more's the pity! I'd sooner gouge out an eye than use it to watch that!

 

 

 

Extra credit: How might our demand for low-priced goods and services cause us to (1) oppress our own employees or (2) cause workers in this country or abroad to be under paid or oppressed?

 

These days folks want every item to cost less and less. We wait a year after the introduction of new technology like flat screen TV, DVD players, etc and then the price will tumble. The reason for that is that workers in third world countries are being exploited to work cheaper and cheaper. The big companies switch their manufacturing facilities to poorer and poorer countries to keep the prices competitive. That's been going on for so long that it can't be stopped. When the developed countries try to compete with the Asian billions in the manufacturing sector they just can't. Import tarrifs are being lowered all the time and workers in America, Britain, Australia, Europe, etc, are being forced out of work. Our own governments are doing that! In my country, Australia, we have the most to lose of any developed country from tarrif reduction and yet our government seems hell bent on forcing that upon us. Their goal is the reduction of our standard of living to that of the third world. It'll make us ripe for the picking when it's time for the one world government to take over.

 

The scourge of our country today is self-funded retirees. They've had to retire early because their bosses got rid of them before retiring age and they have to fend for themselves. No one's gonna hire someone who only has a few years remaining until retirement. They've had to invest their payout money in shares and they then demand higher and higher dividends from the companies in which they have those shares. This in turn drives the demand for higher and higher profits up. One way to increase profits is to oppress workers. In Australia our government is behind that all the way. It's cheaper to get things made in Indonesia of Malaysia than to set up a factory here. We're heading for globalization. Until it's a reality every developed country's workers will suffer and every third world country's workers will be exploited. Nothing we can do about that.

 

 

How does all this relate to the need for patience?

 

No one wants to save up for anything. They want it all now. So they go for the cheapest option. That's impatience. Unfortunately that's now the system, the way of things. I myself bought a cheap set of screwdrivers yesterday. They were made in Bangladesh.

 

[lighthouse2014]

Q2. (5:5-6) What is the spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury? Extra credit: How might our demand for low-priced goods and services cause us to (1) oppress our own employees or (2) cause workers in this country or abroad to be under paid or oppressed? How does all this relate to the need for patience?

The spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury can lead us away from Christ and fellowship from our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Our demands for quality low priced goods has driven this countries labor force abroad where there is cheap underpaid employee's, in retrospect, it has caused labor in this country to be unemployed. All of this because of our greed to want more and more.  

Instead of wanting everything new, which is the norm for the present day, we have no patience to wait on the Lord and his will for us. 

[Jen]

Q2. (5:5-6) What is the spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury? Extra credit: How might our demand for low-priced goods and services cause us to (1) oppress our own employees or (2) cause workers in this country or abroad to be under paid or oppressed? How does all this relate to the need for patience?

 

Our demand for luxury and comfort come from a heart that is not focused on God but on the world and what it offers.  If we are patient God loves to provide our needs + some, but when our hearts are right.  

 

God Bless!

Jen

Numbers 6:24-26

[Tyreek]

James warns the prosperous, in chapter hoarding wealth and not sharing it, withholding fair compensation from one's employees, living in luxury and self-indulgence, and condemning and killing the innocent. Causing others to suffer for doing something right is not doing God’s will, but your own. We all have the gift of conscience or guilt given to us from God, but being patient in your guilt leads to conviction. A good or clear conscious is obtained by repentance and maintained by patience. 5 verses 1-6, that one day their wealth will rot, moths will eat your clothes, and their gold and silver will corrode. Although being wealthy is not a sin, it can produce sinful behavior such as

[Krissi]

There is no spiritual danger in either comfort or luxury as long as it’s not a demand, as Pastor Ralph put it, but rather a consequence of good investing, talent, delayed gratification and hard work. I’ve been on both sides of this equation – I’ve been very wealthy and very poor.  Right now, I’m poor. 

There’s nothing wrong with wealth. Absolutely nothing. For the spiritually weak, wealth does enable sin – it’s easier to get in trouble or be pride-filled if wealth comes suddenly or is unfamiliar.

The spiritually strong, however, view wealth as a gift just like any other of His gifts (health, talent, family …). They are thankful for His bounty, quietly giving it away and living simply without ostentation. Obviously, God has no problem with wealth. Abraham and Job, for example, were specifically rewarded by God with great wealth … God promised them wealth as a spiritual dividend, so to speak, for long-time obedience, trust and faith. God sees wealth as good, as a reward, as something to be enjoyed, not avoided.

The spiritual danger of wealth is the same as the spiritual danger of anything which used properly is good and improperly sin. Sex comes to mind. Sex in marriage is beautiful and necessary; sex outside of marriage is sin. It’s not the sex qua sex that’s the problem; similarly, it’s not wealth that’s the problem. If a Christian can’t enjoy wealth without selfishness, then the selfishness is the problem, not the wealth.

It is simply the case that most wealthy people are wealthy because they’ve earned or merited it. Very few are lottery-winning slobs, trust-fund babies, or sports/entertainment louts. Yes, some wealthy people pursue money relentlessly without self-consciously reflecting on their priorities and attitudes. And there are prideful wealthy people, too. Many, in fact. Again, it’s the character of the man or woman that matters to God, not the trappings of life like wealth.

Having said that, some people work very hard for very little, yet I don’t believe God has condemned them because they're poorer. For them, life’s rewards are elsewhere – family or health, for example. Personally, I gravitate toward people who have chosen occupations that give great satisfaction and pleasure without a lot of financial reward. For them, the reward of doing what they love is far greater than being paid well for work detested or disliked. They've made that calculation when they chose that occupation. Theirs was a good decision.

(I’d rather be a poor poet than a bond trader any day.)

Extra credit: People in third-world countries should not be juvenilized and treated as if they cannot make decisions that affect their own future. If they choose to make more money and leave an agrarian lifestyle, they are fully responsible for that choice. Young girls and boys working in sweatshops in China, however, are NOT responsible for their condition therefore any Christian who buys good made by child labour is guilty of perpetuating their misery. 

[hanks]

Q26. (5:5-6) 
What is the Spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury? 
Extra Credit: How might our demand for low-priced goods and services cause us to (1) Oppress our own employees or (2) Cause workers in this country or abroad to be under paid or oppressed?
How does all this relate to the need for patience?
Riches are a blessing of the Lord. “the blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and He adds no trouble to it.” (Prov 10:22). But when wealth is devoid of the Lord's blessing, trouble accompanies it in the form of envy, injustice, oppression, theft, murder, abuse, and misuse. It is abuse and misuse of wealth, when we squander our wealth on ourselves, while there are multitudes living in desperate need. I find it revolting when I see the affluence and extravagance of some churches as well as certain so-called Christian TV channels. We live in a world where thousands die daily of starvation, and in such a world it is difficult to justify any form of extreme self-indulgence. The clear teaching of the scriptures, the appalling need of the world, the example of the Saviour, and the simple instinct of compassion tell us that it is wrong to live this lifestyle of extreme luxury. If I understand the question correctly, there is an extreme example of this in my country. Our politicians have looted the country to such an extent that there is no money in the Treasury for the poor and oppressed people. We are talking about more than a trillion Rand ($ 1 = ZAR 15) stolen in State Capture, tender fraud, corruption, and looting. Their greed is almost beyond comprehension, resulting in bankrupting the state coffers. All this stolen money is spent on unbelievable luxuries. Most expensive cars, houses, you name it! No money left for low-priced goods and essential services. Depriving the poor of promised housing, running water, toilets, and jobs. Unemployment rate is the highest in the world – over 44%. And this continues today with no politician being held accountable. It is in our rush to attain wealth and riches that the biggest dangers occur. Love for God and the neighbour becomes love for money that leads to all kinds of evil. “for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Tim 6:10) when this happens, man worships and serves not God but money. Then he is a friend of the world and God is his enemy. Rather be patient and live a life of discipline under our Lord Jesus’ guidance. 
 

[Katy]

Q2. The more time we put into our pursuit of luxury the more indulgent we become. The more we have the more we want. It can get hard to know where to draw a line. As this is going on in our lives we grow away from God and the things of God because we are absorbed by materialism. We forget about the Royal Law in our selfishness. At this stage we are committing sin, by not sharing our God given wealth with those who need basics not luxuries! We are in serious spiritual danger.

When we buy without thinking cheap items made in foreign countries, usually Asian countries we can be putting children at risk. Children are being made to work in less than ideal environments to earn a pittance to supply us with items we seek. As long as there is a demand these situations will persist. I don’t know what the answer is really , if there was no work would these children have anything to eat?? It is not a black and white question unfortunately, like so many issues in this fallen world.

We need to share what we have been given by God. And wait patiently for His return. We need to live comfortably without excessive luxury and share our good fortune with others. Most importantly as we wait we must keep our eyes firmly fixed on the Lord. He will direct us in the way we should go.

[Perry Ford]

Q26. (James 5:5-6) What is the spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury? Extra credit: How might our demand for low-priced goods and services cause us to (1) oppress our own employees or (2) cause workers in this country or abroad to be under paid or oppressed? How does all this relate to the need for patience?

The danger of demanding comfort and luxury is that it puts things before God. We are looking at possession even at expense of heavenly treasures.

1) No likely

2) No I don't want workers in this country or other countries to be under paid or oppressed.

Patience is being exercised by the time it takes to accumulate the money and we would also appreciate the purchased item even more.

 

 

[Lisema Ralitsoele]

Q26. (James 5:5-6) What is the spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury? When we put a premium on our comfort and luxury we become so addicted to this affluent lifestyle that we depreciate the value of the lives of our needy neighbors whom we now do not love as we have been commanded to. Extra credit: How might our demand for low-priced goods and services cause us to (1) oppress our own employees or (2) cause workers in this country or abroad to be under paid or oppressed? The American AGOA is very beneficial to my country Lesotho, as well as other African countries, because it creates much needed employment. However, since there is lack of skills and capital, the clothing factories are run by mainland Chinese companies with their ruthless management style that is often of questionable ethics.  How does all this relate to the need for patience? In this case we need to thank God and pray Him to continue to Bless America and to give us the wisdom to accumulate the necessary skills and capital so that we may legally and professionally take over the running of the companies. That takes patience.

[haar]

Q26. (James 5:5-6) What is the spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury? Extra credit: How might our demand for low-priced goods and services cause us to (1) oppress our own employees or (2) cause workers in this country or abroad to be under paid or oppressed? How does all this relate to the need for patience?

The spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury is that it can lead us to hoarding, withholding someone’s rights or living in self- indulgence.
 

[Irmela]

Q26. (James 5:5-6)

What is the spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury? 

How might our demand for low-priced goods and services cause us to (1) oppress our own employees or (2) cause workers in this country or abroad to be under paid or oppressed?

How does all this relate to the need for patience?

The danger is that we take that comfort and luxury is necessary and we do not look to God to supply our need (i.e., not our comfort and luxury, but our real need).

I am not 'on top' of the politics that goes on around us. I do know that there is much corruption, lots of money-laundering, lots of promises not kept etc. Low priced goods are not necessarily a cheap buy. Often buying cheap things is actually expensive because you have to replace it so quickly, as it is not up to standard.   

It sounds like child labour still abounds and this is the reason for some items to be cheap.  If one is in the position where you turn over every  coin before spending it, then one is inclined to buy the cheaper items and not even look at the more expensive stuff. You don't even think where does it come from but are grateful that you were able to purchase what was needed.

This  is not my answer but was gleaned from many answers given and reading between the lines. Do not buy the cheaper items but save up for the more expensive item produced in your country, thus supporting our own workers. This would often only take place after saving up for the item, or God supplying the item through other means. That would be where the need for patience comes in.  

My question:  Are we not making things worse for the people supplying the cheaper items by boycotting them.

 

[Mampho]

On 12/17/2004 at 10:05 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q26. (James 5:5-6) What is the spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury? Extra credit: How might our demand for low-priced goods and services cause us to (1) oppress our own employees or (2) cause workers in this country or abroad to be under paid or oppressed? How does all this relate to the need for patience?

the spiritual danger of that demand is it puts others in poverty. it oppress employees because they will labour but there wont be payment for it, it causes worker around or abroad to be under paid because there wont be obligations being taken care of, this all relate to the need for patience because we want to get results in short time  and in the process hurt others but when we wait, we wait for quality,

[blezed]

(James 5:5-6) What is the spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury?

The danger of our demand for comfort and luxury is that we become arrogant. We come to expect this standard of living as our right. We easily begin to make decisions based on our own creature comfort rather than on God's will.

 

[Old Jerry]

The spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury is that it is exploding the poor. They are working for nothing to provide our wishes. Low-priced goods and services up cut down on the wages of those that are providing the goods or services. If we are patience and save our money to pay for the goods and not demand it right now that would make thing more available.