Philip K Stone

Perspective Living

We live in interesting times, banks collapsing all around us, companies going bankrupt, others having the lay off some of their staff in order to keep companies in existence, governments dishing out taxpayers money to save banks & insurance companies, part of me wonders are we looking the collapse of western capitalism in the face?

Our country has been through recession a few times in the past, we have survived, in the 50′s people got through without their TVs, Cars etc, in the late 80′s many lost their houses but still had many possessions including Cars, TVs etc, currently we are hitting recession were many have their own home or a superb rented home, filled with games consoles, TVs, comfy sofas, food in the cupboards and still many order takeaway without even thinking ‘things are tight’.

The facts:

We have a roof over our heads
We have clothes
We have gadgets etc
We never go without a meal (unless on a diet)
We have all we NEED
The list could go on, the fact is things are at a squeeze but we are not in the need that billions around the world face everyday,

We never wonder were our next meal will come from, We never need to walk outside with ripped clothes covering our modesty and no more.

In this time of ‘recession’ its easy to look inward and forget about charity, Cancer Research is one charity among many that will now have to cut back its work because of the credit crunch, possibly delaying the cure of cancer being found? Many aid charities feeding thousands in towns and villages now can only feed hundreds simply because donors in the western world that have given for years have suddenly stopped?

Governments always complain how they can’t cancel third world debt yet they hand out trillions of dollars to banks when they struggle even though the same large banks have made billions of profit every year for the last 20 years in a row?

My challenge next time we treat ourselves t oa starbucks or tea and a scone (whatever you treat yourself to) maybe put the money our treat would cost into a charity box, direct debits are to easy to stop, but giving change out of our pockets could mean life or death for families across the third world, it could mean more family and friends dying of diseases that could have been beaten by cures if research wasn’t put on hold, my challenge to myself this morning and at the start of a new month is to live with a clearer Godly perspective with my finances with regards to charity.