"Is there and/or should there be such a thing as a Reformed consumer. i.e. is there a distinctive expenditure pattern which typifies Reformed consumers?"

That is the question addressed in a recent book entitled Omgaan met het Aardse Goed¹ by J.P. de Vries, editor-­in-chief of Nederlands Dagblad.

Although this study is oriented to The Netherlands, it is well worth examin­ing by Reformed Christians elsewhere. De Vries sets out the basis of a Reformed Christian approach to our daily spending activities and puts forward a number of questions which, also among us, deserve further consideration and application. He does not propose a rigid set of rules, since the application of the various prin­ciples is very much an individual task. However, his discussion should help us all to review our own spending patterns against the light of God's Word.

No Distinctive Pattern⤒🔗

As introduction, de Vries notes that, except with regard to certain dress codes or amusements, the question of a Chris­tian spending pattern has been of interest only in the last number of years. Prior to the twentieth century, the ordinary citizen spent virtually all his income on basic necessities. While a minimum of luxury became possible during the twen­ties, our relatively affluent (Western!) so­ciety has developed mainly since the last world war. Cars, refrigerators, freezers, televisions, stereos, etc., are now general­ly available. The Christian now has a real opportunity to make consumption choices — after basic necessities, he has money left over.

However, de Vries found that, in The Netherlands, no distinctive spending pattern could be discovered among Re­formed Christians. He notes that, al­though a study by Hogervorst²  distinguishes seven different "lifestyles," the Reformed community — except for the extreme, conservative, "black stocking" (zwarte kousen) group — is not among them. In addition, a 1979 sample of read­ers of Nederlands Dagblad found no evi­dence to show that these readers differed significantly from the average Dutchman in their spending patterns on durable con­sumer purchases such as car and house.³It is unlikely that we would find the situation significantly different on the North American continent.

Nevertheless, de Vries argues that a Reformed Christian's spending style should be different from that of the world. Since many of our readers will not be able to read de Vries' work, I will attempt to present a summary of his ar­gument. In this article, I set out a series of relevant Biblical principles which I have drawn from de Vries' work⁴and end up with several conclusions to be de­rived from these principles. I will show how de Vries begins to apply these principles more concretely. Those who are able to read Dutch will find a study of the book itself well worthwhile. In addition to the material which I summarize here, the book contains a useful review of relevant liter­ature, including the views of John Calvin, as well as an interesting chapter on the role of government in propagating a more austere lifestyle.

Relevant Biblical Principles←⤒🔗

1. Our Spending is Integral to Our Service to God←↰⤒🔗

The way in which we spend our money is not something that does not re­late to our life with the Lord. Rather, the final decision about our well-being is closely related to money. Jesus, in Luke 16:11, said, "If you have not been trust­worthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?" The money that we receive, manage, and spend, is ultimately not our property but has been entrusted to us by the Lord. He is the Owner of the earth and its fullness; we are merely His stewards, who must manage the goods entrusted to us in order to serve Him therewith.

2. Enjoyment is Allowed←↰⤒🔗

Consumption is part of the order of creation; from the beginning, God gave man the seed-bearing plants and fruits of the trees as food. The prayer for our daily bread is one of the six petitions in the Lord's prayer.

Food and drink is a blessing from God which we may enjoy; e.g. "The righ­teous eat to their hearts' content" (Proverbs 13:25), and "He makes … wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart" (Psalm 104:15). The Feast of Taber­nacles was celebrated with the enjoyment of "choice food and sweet drinks" (Nehemiah 8:11). See also Ecclesiastes 2:24, Acts 14:17, and Isaiah 25:6.

3. Thanksgiving, Praise, and Obedience are Required←↰⤒🔗

All consumption is permitted if it can be done with thanksgiving and praise to the Lord. We read of "foods which God created to be received with thanks­giving" (1 Timothy 4:3-5), and "When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land He has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God..." (Deuteronomy 8:10, 11). See also Isaiah 1:15.

4. Biblical Prohibitions do Exist←↰⤒🔗

Already in paradise, consumption of the fruit from the tree of the knowl­edge of good and evil was prohibited (Genesis 2:17). Isaiah (5:11) cries, "Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine." The Lord Jesus, similarly, in Luke 6:25, judges those who are "well fed now." Note that these condemna­tions apply to excesses, to those for whom consumption is an end in itself — or, as the Bible says, those "whose re­ward is in this life" (Psalm 17:14) and "[who] have no regard for the deeds of the LORD" (Isaiah 5:12).

However, when the norm for our spending is service to God, complete ab­stention from certain items may also be required, as was the case, for example, with food sacrificed to idols (Acts 15:29 and Romans 14:23).

5. Obedience to a Rigid Code of Do's and Don'ts is not Required←↰⤒🔗

De Vries stresses that God no longer insists on legalistic obedience to a rigid food and behavior code such as the Old Testament Mozaic laws. "[Such laws] lack any value in restraining sensual in­dulgence" (Colossians 2:23). All food and drink is now acceptable if, as mentioned before, it can be received with thankful­ness to the Lord.

6. Love for Our Neighbor must also Guide our Consumption←↰⤒🔗

Abstaining from certain foods was urged by Paul (Romans 14:14-15) — if nec­essary to keep from "[destroying] your brother for whom Christ died." See also 1 Corinthians 8:10 and 10:28.

Moreover, the Bible teaches that we must not consume all we have but also share with those who are in need (Nehemiah 8:10, Luke 3:11, Ephesians 4:28, James 2:16, 1 Timothy 6:18).

7. Moderation is Necessary←↰⤒🔗

As already noted in point 4, the Bi­ble warns against excesses in consump­tion. One reason given for this warning is the resultant, natural, physical effects, e.g. Proverbs 25:16, "If you find honey, eat just enough — too much of it, and you will vomit."

In this regard, de Vries stresses the responsibility that we have for our own health, referring to the Heidelberg Cate­chism's explanation of the sixth com­mandment, "that I harm not myself nor wilfully expose myself to any danger." He notes that of two proof texts given for this explanation, one, Romans 13:14 concerns immoderate consumption and the other, Colossians 2:23, concerns unnecessary abstention from food. Thus, there exists a definite relationship be­tween our consumption and our care for our bodies.

However, these physical effects are not the only, or even the main, reason for moderation. Proverbs 30:8 and 9 makes this clear:

Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown You and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

Also in our spending, we must ex­ercise the self-control that Galatians 6:22 mentions as one of the fruits of the Spirit.

8. Absorption in Consumption must be Avoided←↰⤒🔗

As noted before, consumption must never become an end in itself, the objec­tive of our life. Paul urges us to "use the things of this world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away" (1 Corinthians 7:31). Specifically, in 1 Timothy 6:17, 18, he com­mands the "rich in this present world … not to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but … to be generous and willing to share."

The most important thing in life, whether we are rich or poor, is to "seek first His Kingdom and His righteous­ness." The Lord Himself tells us (as we have read, Matthew 6:25-34) to "not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear," because, if first things are put first, "all these things will be given to you as well."

All these Scripture passages, de Vries notes, can be summarized with the well-known words of 1 Corinthians 10:31, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

Conclusions for a Christian Life­style←⤒🔗

From these Biblical principles, de Vries draws three main conclusions relat­ed to a Christian lifestyle (pp. 51-56).

1. Austerity/Frugality should be a Fruit of Thankfulness←↰⤒🔗

All earthly things are created by God and, in principle, may be used by us. Austerity, in itself, has no merit; we are not required to live as hermits. Although a call to more frugality has its place in our current affluent society, this call must be presented not as law, but as a fruit of thankfulness. By a frugal life­style, we demonstrate that inwardly we are free from our earthly possessions and are able to consider them unimportant when it comes to our devotion to the Lord.

If our objective is to spend more and more — to get a better house, a bet­ter car — then the goal of our life is wrong. The gifts have taken center place; the Giver has been pushed to the back­ground.

All that we need for our basic ne­cessities, we may receive with thankfulness. However, according to de Vries, these basics, require only a quarter of our disposable income. We need not re­ject the other three-quarters, but we must use it to God's glory and in His service.

2. Pleasure must have a Balanced Place in Our Spending←↰⤒🔗

Personal-pleasure has its place — also in a relatively frugal lifestyle. How­ever, it is not right to spend for personal enjoyment if the church and the needy neighbor have not first shared in what we have received. Entertainment, also, must be a work of thankfulness rather than a continuous pursuit.

In the interest of entertainment or enjoyment, we may not exhaust our bodies or the rest of God's creation. Jealousy may never be a motive, nor the desire to have whatever someone else has (Exodus 20:17), i.e. "keeping up with the Joneses," nor the desire to show off how much we can afford, making others jealous. Such motives serve the unrigh­teous "mammon" rather than God.

3. Extreme Frugality Repels←↰⤒🔗

However, argues de Vries, we must not go to the other extreme. He sees a distinction between that simplicity which earns respect and the poverty and plain­ness that is repulsive. In the latter case, we do not, by our daily walk, promote the glorification of our heavenly Father.

De Vries stresses that the applica­tion of these conclusions is very much a personal matter. People and circumstances differ; something that may be normal for one person in a specific situation, may, for another in a different situation, be pure egotism. A degree of luxury that does not fit with a Christian lifestyle clearly exists. To precisely define the ex­tent of acceptable luxury for everyone, in a form that is always valid, is, how­ever, impossible. Nevertheless, de Vries does present a number of more concrete suggestions to help us apply these general Biblical principles.

A Christian Spending Pattern←⤒🔗

I present de Vries' ap­plication of these principles to a number of specific types of expenditures. In ad­dition, I take the opportunity to add a few personal comments in order to fur­ther the needed discussion on this topic.

1. Food, Clothing and Shelter←↰⤒🔗

"If we have food and clothing, we will be content," Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:8. The word translated by "clothing" in the RSV and NIV and as "rayment" in the KJV, is translated in the Dutch ver­sion as "onderdak" or shelter, the word used by de Vries. Since the Greek word here is better translated as "covering" which, "according to some, includes a roof to cover us, i.e. a dwelling, as well as clothing," ⁵the inclusion of shelter, in the application of this text, appears warranted.

Also today, food, clothing, and shelter are the primary necessities of life. However, even within this category, spending patterns will vary. Most of us certainly eat more luxuriously than thir­ty years ago. We own more clothes and get rid of them sooner. Our homes are better heated, have more appliances, etc. Have we perhaps gone too far?

De Vries observes that we cannot necessarily conclude that. We may accept this prosperity with thankfulness, as long as we do not become so attached to it that, if it became necessary, we could not surrender it. If the general living stan­dard goes up, a Christian cannot totally withdraw himself from that. If we dis­tinguish ourselves too much from others, as, for instance, in clothing, we may harm the spreading of the Gospel message.

Moreover, for many of us, de Vries believes, a life-style significantly poorer than the world around us would put too heavy a burden on our spiritual life and rob us of happiness — even though such a sacrifice has value only if cheerfully brought (2 Corinthians 9:7).

However, according to de Vries, these last comments should be consid­ered only in determining the minimum level of our spending; the life-style of the world must never be our norm.

a) Food. De Vries argues that our money may responsibly be spent on healthy food. He certainly does not wish to return to the time when many families had to be satisfied with unhealthy one-sided menus such as rye bread and po­tatoes with a piece of bacon. In our days, the danger of unhealthy food, according to de Vries, is more likely to result from overeating — in which case, we spend our money in contradiction to both the sixth and the eighth ⁶commandment.

De Vries mentions particularly the unifying function of family meal times. These may be attended with simplicity but not with bareness. An occasional extra-festive meal fits in with this function.

Nevertheless, he suggests that we se­riously think about the amount of money that we spend on items which are con­sumed more for their enjoyment than for their nutritional value: consider those items we refer to as "junk food." He notes that in The Netherlands a family devotes, on an average, about 8.5 per­cent of its expenditure on such items as pastry, candies, chocolates, TV dinners, drinks, ice cream, and cigarettes — approximately $1,500 a year. He calculates that if members of the Reformed Churches (Liberated) consume the same amount of these items as the average Dutchman, then $17.5 million dollars would be available for other purposes if they could manage to cut these expendi­tures in half. Surely, a major benefit, even apart from the potential improvement in health!

b) Clothing. It is obviously neces­sary to possess more clothes than those on our backs for reasons of hygene, changing weather conditions, and the variety of tasks we have to do. Nevertheless, suggests de Vries, excess is a pos­sibility here. Excesses may result from un-Christian motives such as the desire to be no less than others, the slavish fol­lowing of fashion by which good clothes remain unused, or the throw-away men­tality of our generation in which there is no time for repair, or a small repair, no matter how carefully made, is considered to make a garment unpresentable.

For the sake of argument, let me pose a personal question at this point. Could we, men and boys, perhaps make a small beginning by wearing neat sweaters and dress slacks to church rather than the more expensive and less comfortable suits and ties which fashion appears to dictate that we wear?

c) Shelter. A good house, concludes de Vries, is important for us to fulfill our calling. That applies also to our children; a private room to do homework, if pos­sible, is certainly not squandering. However, each of us must continually ask ourselves where the border lies between necessity and luxury — both when ac­quiring and when furnishing our houses. For many, how much we can afford is, of necessity, the guideline for this deci­sion. However, let that not automatical­ly be the case for the more prosperous, for then we run the risk of investing too much for our own comfort.

While de Vries' comments here are a useful starting point, I personally find they leave a lot of questions unanswered. Considering that for most of us our ex­penditure on housing is the largest single spending item, further discussion would be helpful.

While it may not be possible to be more specific, the available choices are many. For example, should we buy or rent? Is a detached home justifiable or must we settle for a duplex, townhouse, or condominium apartment? How much can we devote to a choice location, lot size, etc. Moreover, the guideline of "how much can we afford" is very elastic; if we cut back our contributions to church and school or even reduce other expenses, we can all afford to spend more on housing. But should we?

2.  Education←↰⤒🔗

In passing, de Vries refers to spend­ing related to the education and training of our children. In his opinion, these ex­penses relate directly to their mission in life; as long as we keep in mind their God-given talents, it is, in his view, dif­ficult to overspend in this area.

3. Recreation/Entertainment←↰⤒🔗

De Vries, noting a significantly in­creased spending on such things as stereo sets, colour TVs, projectors, tents, campers, and boats, poses the question, "Is a Christian allowed to acquire any of these items as long as more pressing needs exist in church or Christian orga­nizations?" In response, he observes the following:

• It is certainly not necessary to have everything, even if neighbors or col­leagues do.

• We must ask ourselves, "Of what value is this expenditure for me, consid­ering my Christian calling? Are my ex­penditures on recreation a balanced part of my total budget?"

• These questions are the more pressing if, as the ads encourage us, we purchase these articles on credit; that is, we, already in advance, lock in future spending possibilities when we do not know whether the Lord may require something else of us.

• However, recreation is also direct­ly related to our calling and is a gift granted by God. Recreation permits us to restore body and soul from labor's pressures.

• Needs vary from person to person. Some require music — piano, records, concerts — others relax with photogra­phy; still others go out into nature — close to home or, when possible, also oc­casionally in foreign countries. These are all acceptable forms of relaxation which fit with a Christian life-style.

• Nevertheless, we must be good stewards, e.g. not choosing something expensive when something less expensive is satisfactory; not buying everything without considering how often it will be used.

4. Transportation←↰⤒🔗

When discussing car ownership, de Vries warns against taking this for grant­ed. His pleas for more use of public transportation and bicycles may be more suitable for Dutch circumstances. For a Reformed Christian family on the Amer­ican continent, a car is a basic necessity — if only to get to church.

However, such is not necessarily the case for all family members with licenses. In particular, his suggestion that we should look at the number of taxi rides that can be taken for the price of annual car ownership, may be appro­priate for some two-car families among us. Moreover, his view that it is not nec­essary to have a more expensive car than that required for basic needs — even if a smaller car provides less status — may be relevant for us also.

5. Personal Development←↰⤒🔗

According to de Vries, it is less easy to go to excess on this item. Possibly, we do not even spend enough on it. He sug­gests, for instance, that it should be ob­vious that we do not acquire such things as televisions (particularly color) if we have not first obtained a Bible commentary.

6. Capital Accumulation←↰⤒🔗

When we spend a justifiable part of our income on our needs, most of us will have something left over, concludes de Vries. The question is, "What must be done with this remainder?" We can either save it and build up capital, or give it away to church and other Christian ac­tivities. Is a Christian permitted to accu­mulate capital, to hoard the money that could be fruitfully used elsewhere? De Vries makes the following observations.

• Obviously, a family may build up a reserve in order to make larger pur­chases without going into debt.

• Businessmen, also, must build up funds.

• It is our responsibility to ensure, to the best of our ability, that we do not become financially dependent on others.

• However, whoever builds up cap­ital without such specific objectives, must consider whether he is not in the process of seeking the purpose of his life somewhere other than in God's Kingdom and in his righteousness.

• Whoever has capital must ensure that it is active in the service of the Lord. Whoever does that may also count on the brotherhood when he gets into trouble. He will receive in return "a hundred times as much in this present age ... and in the age to come, eternal life" (Mark 10:30).

• In summary, the destination of the money left after satisfying our needs must be considered even more critically than the expenditures related to these needs. To what extent it is justifiable to reserve capital to ourselves, in the light of the needs of the communion of saints, remains a weighty question.

Here also, I would like to Add some Comments:←↰⤒🔗

• The need to ensure that we do not become financially dependent on others, appears, to some extent at least, to con­tradict the subsequent statement that we may count on the brotherhood. It also appears to conflict with the Lord's ex­hortation (Matthew 6:25) not to worry about our life, what we will eat or drink. The extent to which we must attempt to provide for our own unexpected future needs and retirement remains a question.

• If a businessman must build up re­serves for the future and does well, in my view, to expand his business in order to provide jobs, it must also be permitted to build up capital in the hope of eventually beginning a business or profes­sional practice.

• Capital accumulation is also di­rectly connected to home ownership. If it is justified to save for large purchas­es, it is justified to save for our own house (assuming home ownership itself can be justified — point 1c). However, a home can be bought with mortgages of various sizes. To what extent is it justi­fied to pay off your mortgage as quick­ly as possible? If we all paid off our mortgages and saved for apparently legitimate purposes, before considering any needs of others, very little would be available to be donated to others.

7. Donations: Not a Residual←↰⤒🔗

De Vries, however, emphatically makes the point that donations should not be some kind of balancing item in our spending pattern. The needs both in our own country and in the rest of the world are without limit. They clearly demonstrate the need for charity but do not indicate a standard as to how much we must devote to it.

In addition to the Scriptural references set out in point 6 under "Rele­vant Biblical Principles" mention should be made also of the example of the widow put before us by the Lord in Luke 21:4; she, out of her poverty, donated all she had.

In a Christian budget, church donations must certainly be included as the first necessary item. As members of Christ's congregation, we are together called to bring together whatever is nec­essary for the ministry of the gospel — remembering that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:14).

No one is permitted to withdraw from these financial consequences, al­though ability to pay may be taken into account when determining the extent of his contribution. The size of the dona­tion, however, is to be determined not only by our personal budgets but also by the needs of the local church. Those needs may force a more frugal personal spending pattern.

The same applies to other organiza­tions established by church members — schools, for example. Such organizations must be financially well-organized; good stewardship is required. Once they are es­tablished or new needs are determined, the communion of saints requires all to participate, even if expansion of our record collection or wardrobe may have to be postponed.

The requirement that from those to whom much is given, much will be re­quired, also applies here. While we ob­ject to socialistic endeavors to redis­tribute income because of their forced application, notes de Vries, that is no ex­cuse for conspicuous spending differ­ences within the church community.

The Lord gives all; He requires all — that is the norm for Christian spending.

Wile I have no quarrel with de Vries' comments related to Christian giv­ing, I should like to see a slight change in emphasis. While de Vries does repeat­edly refer to the needs of the Third World, his discussion here seems directed very heavily to internal Reformed needs — church and organizations of Re­formed Christians. A wider horizon is, I think, required.

Overall, however, De Vries has pro­vided lots of food for thought in his review of the most important spending categories. I conclude with a direct quote:

I cannot draw concrete conclusions for every personal situation; that every­one must be satisfied in his own, mind ap­plies fully here. I have only launched a number of questions which might wake up some consciences that have fallen asleep. The main point is that we realize what is important, also when determin­ing our lifestyle, and that we do not let ourselves be dragged along, thoughtless­ly, by what everyone else does. This will require self-denial and abstention from certain things, not only because an ac­tivity is, in substance, sinful, but also because it comes last in our financial priorities. The word "frugal" will then, even in this world of affluence, not be a stranger to us — although we blush for shame when we compare this "frugality" with the living standard of countries in Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa.