JesusWalk Bible Study Forum: Q2. Comfort and Luxury - JesusWalk Bible Study Forum

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?

When things become more important then the Lord we are headed down the wrong path.
America has the Wal-Mart mentality. Price is the only consideration. Quality and value are not part of the equations. We should be thinking about jobs for our people. The Lord calls us to think of others before ourselves I sure he would think of outers befor profits.

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[color=blue]2a.) The pursuit of it is endless, unsatisfying, self-centered, and selfish. We are admonished: "[/color][color=purple]Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment[/color][color=blue]." (1 Timothy 6:17)[/color]
2b.) (5:5-6) 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?
[color=blue]2b.) Because most of the time, you cannot cut on the quality of the resources the product is made of. So the only other way is to cut employee costs to raise the profit margin. Many cases your employees are having to live in the same area with the same concerns of putting food on the table and a roof over their family's heads.[/color]
2c.) (5:5-6) How does all this relate to the need for patience?
[color=blue]2c.) It may take longer to make your millions. [/color]

[font="Georgia"]God does not deny us creature comforts and simple indulgences. However, we cannot horde our wealth solely for our own betterment and comfort. When we do, we break the Royal Law—loving material goods and ourselves. Let us not be like the Rich Man. [color=green]" 'Son,' Abraham said, 'remember that during your life you received your good things, just as Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here, while you are in agony. (Luk 16:25)[/color]

Our ultimate reward awaits us in heaven. Nevertheless, here on earth we seek worldly fulfillment and measure happiness with our possessions. Oh, to be patient for that glorious day ahead when we will be in God’s presence and share eternal life with Jesus.

Increasing demand for low-priced goods forces us to reduce costs—and since all costs ultimately arise from labor—we must decrease payments to our workers, and/or demand greater productivity from the same salary expense.

A common approach to reduce the cost of goods sold is to shift production offshore to developing countries. In doing so, we irreparably harm agrarian third-world economies when their families forsake the fields for factories—increasing their dependence on others for income, food and shelter. Moreover, children of impoverished families often leave school to work in the factory, enslaving themselves to a life of labor.

When jobs move overseas, we not only force our domestic employees to seek alternative employment—often at a reduced wage—but also we intrude into cultures as we pray on man’s greed, tempting others with promises of wealth.

Unfortunately, we seldom manage to think beyond short-term returns demanded by our shareholders, and we do more harm than good to our global society. It is a perilous road we undertake. It's time to rethink our misuse of God's children at a global level. [color=green]But if that slave says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming, and starts to beat the male and female slaves, and to eat and drink and get drunk, that slave's master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. (Luk 12:45-46)[/font]

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

[color=purple]I think the key word here is 'demand'. God doesn't care if we have comfort and luxury. He is our Father and loves us. The thing is that if that's all we live for then it is sin. God has to be first.[/color]

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?

(5:5-6) What is the spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury?
[color=blue]The spiritual danger is that we can become smug, prideful, arrogant, and selfish.[/color]

Extra credit: How might our demand for low-priced goods and services cause us to (1) oppress our own employees
[color=blue]You are not giving your employees the tools they need to do their job and thus, compromising.[/color]

or (2) cause workers in this country or abroad to be under paid or oppressed?
[color=blue] When you cut corners in such a manner you are cheating others. . .

How does all this relate to the need for patience?
[COLOR=blue]We need to wait on the Lord for all the blessings, you can not out give Him. . . as a person continues to do what is right in the Lords eyes, the rewards will come. . . even if they are not rewards of this life.[/color]

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?


What is the spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury?
I think one of the dangers is that, in our quest for comfort and luxury, we forget about those who go without and take for granted the luxuries that we have. I can see this through my teen-age daughter who has much more than I ever did. These luxuries are part of the norm for her. They are not bad in and of themselves, but I can see how she takes them for granted. When she talks to some of her friends that are really struggling, she can see how fortunate she is, but I don't think she truly grasps how grateful she should be. Adults are frequently no better. They grow accustomed to the niceties in life, and they become things we 'need'. Our need grows into material things instead of reliance on God and His provision. Like I said, material things and nice things aren't bad, but how we view them and whether or not we're grateful determines if they'll be a detriment in our life or not. Our hope and trust needs to come from Him, not from wealth and material things. It's also of utmost importance that we tithe consistently and give at least our 10-percent back into 'the storehouse'. It's His to begin with!

Extra credit:
Putting an emphasis on the lowest possible price when it oppresses either employees or others is not showing others Christs' love. We need to be His feet and His hands, and we can't be oppressors through the week and Christians on Sunday. We need to treat others with love, kindness, and respect and give everyone what they're due - not cheating them out of something rightfully theirs in order to make the most money!

How does this relate to the need for patience?

(continued from posting below)

How does this relate to the need for patience?

God will supply us with all we need. He desires to give us above and beyond all we can think or imagine. That doesn't mean all of the blessings are going to shower down and once and make us zillionaires! We need to wait on Him and allow Him to lead us. If we're oppressing others or trying to manipulate things to gain wealth and material possessions, we're not behaving as His children and relying on Him.

When we live a life of indulgence and luxury it is very difficult to stay alert so as to resist the roaring lion out to devour us. We should be sober and watching. As a practical act we should develop the habit of giving things away all the time.

We need to be careful about the things we buy. If we get to know that an item we want to buy was produced in a sweat shop or using child labour , we have an obligation not to buy it however we should accept all things with a clear conscience.

We should never get involved in get rich quick schemes or businesses. We need to be patient and dedicated to gain success as it is best when we work on something for the long haul so that when success comes we will be psychologically and spiritually ready for it.

We see many people in the US especially musicians and sports stars who get wealthy suddenly and they are not ready for it. They usually self destruct as a result of their extravant life styles.

The demand for comfort and luxury and the acquisition of them often gives one a false sense of well-being. That person oftentimes becomes insensitive and oblivious to the needs of society. Persons who are materialistic and seek after great wealth tend also to feel that they can rely on themselves to achieve their goals, instead of having a reliance on the goodness of God.

In our demand for cheap goods, we forget that the persons who work in the factories to produce them are usually paid very low wages. Some of these wages make it difiicult for those persons to even eke out a living for their family. In most cases, children are involved. We have to be careful both as consumers and producers of these goods that our selfishness and desire for these goods are not negatively impacting the lives of those who work long hours to produce them.

God requires that we be fair in our dealing with and be mindful of the plight of thers. It wpuld do well for us to take note of Jesus' words: "Do unto others as you would that they should do unto you." It is as we are mindful and considerate of the other person that, we truly begin to live out the second commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

The spiritual danger is that we lose sight of God. Comfort and luxury make us think more highly of ourselves and of our desires than we ought. Our hearts become hard. Our demand for low-priced goods reveals our selfishness and lack of love for our neighbors. We are more concerned with how cheap we can get what we want or how much we can save than we are about our fellow man's well being. It shows no love for others. We need patience - to wait on the Lord. His timing is perfect and He knows what we need and He will supply us with what we need.

What is the spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury?
-who are we thinking of GOD, others or our selves? what ever we need GOD will see to it that we have it.

Extra credit: How might our demand for low-priced
goods and services cause us to (1) oppress our own employees
-it's just like the minnimum wage going up. the people on minn. wage get the raise no one else. yet the people that have to give rthat raise are not going to take it out of thier own pocket. so whatever they sell goes up. now the people that didn't get a raise have to dish out more money for thier needs.
(2) cause workers in this country or abroad to be under paid or oppressed?
-well as before in #1 the owners won't go with out or less. so they'll find a way to make it happen (ex)
1-lay off and have the others do more work at the same price
2-offer to keep them but at a lesser price.
3-keep the workers, but remove needed benifits such as insurance, or you get a cheaper plan etc.
How does all this relate to the need for patience?
-if we look out for each other and not just the price LARGEcompanies won't be able to put the small guy out of business. or be able to control us for thier personal gain.

I'm not sure I understand this but here goes!!!! Sometimes to live in luxury we demand too much. Higher wages, lower prices, more and better benefits while all along doing only mediocore (?) for them. Hoarding what God has already given to them. Not giving to those in need. Arrogance becomes the norm for them and they fail to follow God's will for their life.
If employers paid fair wages and kept prices down and buy & sell in larger volumes, their profits go up, thus raises are more likely, so long as the quality of the product doesn't diminish, the demand will be there. But today everything is being down-sized and still asking same or more for less in quantity. If we were not so hungry for money and more satisfied with what God has given , there would not be any underpaid in God's Kingdom. So long as we don't dwell on our luxuries more than on God and His will for our lives. We are all paid over and above what we deserve..
Watching and Waiting for the Coming of The Lord..

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

Every Christian must have a thankful heart, it is a part of being a Christian to possess a heart of thanksgiving. The spiritual danger would be to lose this valuable possession (thanksgiving) and adopt an air of arrogance and pride.


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?

We would develop a bad habit of saving and storing-up that which God has not directed us to save or store. Bad habits are of the flesh and have nothing to do with God.



How does all this relate to the need for patience?

Patience does not necessarily have a large bank account .. but patience does believe and act as if everyday we have more than enough.

The Spiritual danger of our demand for luxury and comfort is that it puts
SELF on the throne of our life, with a never-ending desire to put ourselves
first. Then when God tests us , we are not ready for the trials in our life
which bring maturity and discipline to us.

AS stipulated by Magnus and others, this causes oppression to the hard-
working class to produce materials without sufficient pay to meet their needs

Be patient in waiting upon the Lord to provide for you. What God provides
is everlasting, unlike the temporary things of life. What shall it profit a man
if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?

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?


[I][color=blue]We become spiritually lazy. We hesitate to do hard work for the Lord. We depend too much on technology and don't do research on our own. We become dependent of the comforts of technology. This depletes our mind of basic power of thinking and applying. Lethargy sets in and in due course of time we stop working because we have become too obese to move around. That's the danger which should be avoided at all costs. [/color]

[color=red]All the Call Centers running in India and other third world countries are doing this. They are getting low priced goods and services from third world countries and denying their own people their due. Patience is required to search for better opportunities for your own people rather than denying them the privileges they deserve.[/color]

Q2. (5:5-6) What is the spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury?
Seeking luxuries for ourselves is not wrong, unless we make it the most important thing in our lives. When seeking luxury makes us greedy and arrogant then we turn from God. As long as God is number one in our lives and we keep our focus on Him and His Will for us, we can enjoy the “things” of the world.

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?
When we put the demand on manufacturers for low priced goods, they hire workers at low wages to produce the product.

How does all this relate to the need for patience?
We should be patient and wait for God to provide our needs.

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?


Its not wrong for us to want nice things. But it is wrong if we let it take first place in our lives. God has to be first. Sometimes getting the nice things makes us want something else then something else and thenit becomes a habit to want more and more and start pushing God to last place if we ever remember him.


Sometimes in our wanting everything at a cheaper price. We forget wht it cost the employees. For an employer to sell things chear. They will not be able to give them a good wage for them to make a living. making it harder for the employes to pay their bills.


We know that if we be patient God will provide for all of our needs. Casue that is one of his promises to us. But waiting is hard, but if we will we will do better than if we keep wanting everything right now. Let all learn to be patient. And desire Gods best, instead of not waiting and getting something that is not as good

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

When all is going just the way we want it things get easy to depend upon. We need to keep depending upon Jesus to help us and not let ourselves fall into believing we can do anything on our own. It is only through the blood we are even saved.


Extra credit: How might our demand for low-priced goods and services cause us to (1) oppress our own employees or
We seem to want everything for nothing these days. For one things we want a car that runs forever so we push for lower prices and we get less quality. They get cheeper help and that way they can sell for less and it is not the quality we did get before they started paying cheaper wages.

(2) cause workers in this country or abroad to be under paid or oppressed?
When they take the jobs for other countries this country pays the price with lost jobs and the unemployment is higher now than ever before. That is how it hurts us for them to be under paid we end up losing in the end. Plus the quietly of things are not as good.

How does all this relate to the need for patience?
If we are patient we will get the job done right and we will be able to use what we get and what we help to make. The need for patience is great on the job in life and in all we do. We want to much in an instant now days we do not take time to stop and see what we do is good or not we got to step and examine ourselves and our work as well as the way others see us. Others may not see what you are doing but one thing is sure God does.

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 is a turning away from God for our satisfaction and happiness.

The low-priced goods and services does not cause the problem but our demand for them does. When we have no patience, the overall demand becomes stronger which feeds on itself. It has a "snowballing" effect.