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How to Beat the
HIGH
COST OF LIVING
N
EVE R
in r ecent
memory has ma king
ends meet been so
difficult.
The cost of living has soared
upward so relentlessly that the
economic stability of many
families, an d even entire
nations, is ser ious ly threat–
encd.
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nflation has, in fact, put
a sq uecze on the whole
world.
To help offset rising expenses,
husbands often have to moonlight
on sccond jobs. Wives are forced
to work outside the home. Older
children, unable to makc il on
thcir own, are coming back to live
with lheir parents. And many
nalions, getting deeper and dcep–
cr in debt, are forced lo borrow to
pay off old bilis and to maintain a
semblance of credibilily.
This is nol the way things
should be! How did the world
come lo this impasse?
Years ago, in the industrial
world, a husband's salary, withoul
a second income from his wife, was
usually adequate to cover the needs
of his family.
If
he worked hard
and dcpendably he could expect
periodic pay increases that eventu–
ally gave him a higher standard of
living. In many cases he was cven
ablc to buy his own house.
Not so now. Even with regular
and substant ial raises in pay, mosl
breadwinners are barely able to
keep evcn. Inflation has lhrottled
prosperity. House buying has
June
1
July 1981
by
Wilbur A. Berg
become imposs ibl c for many.
Young people are hardly able to
qualify for a loan because of
excessively high intcrcst rates and
through-the-ceiling prices.
Gone also are lhe days when
sending thc chi ldren to college or
buying new appliances and furni –
ture were taken for granted. Fam–
ilies now either do withoul or
repair and conlinue using what
they have. With co llege costs
going out of sight and financia]
aid grants getling fewer, many
parents can no longcr afford to
gíve their childrcn higher educa–
tional opportunilies.
An Overlooked Obligatlon?
Obviously something is funda–
mentally wrong. But national
leaders and financia! experts
don 'l know what the cause is and
are unable to solve the problem.
Each new administration or gov–
ernment eagerly and naively tries
its remedy, but almost nothing
works.
Something else
is desper–
ately needed to bring financia!
slability and true prosperity.
Now suppose someone told you
that you could beat loday's mone–
tary treadmill by
giving away
part of your income. You might
think he was crazy. And yet,
unknown to most, thal's precisely
the something else lhat is needed
to get yourself and olhers on the
right financia! track.
Few realize thal God has not
only given life to each of us but has
also spoken out on matters con–
cerning our financia! prosperity.
Because He created the earth on
which we live (Colossians 1: 16),
God is owner of all its resources.
(You'll read il in Psalms 24:1-2
and 50:1 0-12.) He therefore has
lhe right to ask and receive some–
lhing back from us for using what
is His. That is why Abram, onc of
thc richesl Old Testament pa–
triarchs, acknowledged God as thc
"maker of heaven and earth" and
"gave him a
tenth
of everylhing"
(Genesis 14:20-22, RSY).
" Wcll," you say, "that's all
righl for Abram's time, bul he
didn't have to cope with today's
inftalion and taxes. Besides, that's
Old Testamenl sluff. I've always
been lold lhal tilbing or giving a
tenlh isn't New Testament teach–
ing. Whcre are we told we should
still givc God 1
O
percent of our
income?"
Granted , Abram (or Abraham)
may not have had the tax burden
we have loday. But it wasn't too
long afler his time that ancienl
Israel set lhe stage fo r our presenl
economic woes. They went the way
of neighboring gentile nations and
rejected God's rulership and tax–
free economic system.
Maybe you never read how
today's economic woes really
began. l f not , it 's time you did. lt
began in the 11th century B.C.
Samuel, a prophet of God in Israel,
appointed his sons as judges. They
didn't carry out their office prop–
erly. They took bribes. The nation
Israel became angry and de–
manded of Samuel that he appoint
a king over them like the other
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