August 28 2014 (Thursday)
P-s-s-s-t….hey, buddy,
wanna buy a watch?
It’s only..
You read it right. $800,000. Some Swiss Watchmakers have worked really hard to come up with a mechanical watch that keeps perfect time, which includes mechanisms that take into account the effects of gravity on the timepiece.
How many would you like?
During WW2, there was a slogan often heard: “Is this trip really necessary?” Somehow, it seems to apply to the unnecessary purchases we sometimes make.
Perhaps you, like me, can remember the dollar watch, easily purchased at pawn shops which sold all sorts of cheap stuff along with the pawned. It was a pocket watch, and usually came with a leather strap to secure it in your watch pocket (remember those?).
I had a dear friend who possibly could have afforded the $800,000 job, but never paid more than $1 for a watch–it was the idea of paying more than that that turned him off. After all, the cheap ones were reliable time keepers.
The watch I’m wearing now is a nice one, given to me by my daughter, Dianna. A beautiful piece of jewelry as well as a very dependable watch. It keeps perfect time, as far as I can tell. I don’t know how much it cost, but I’m quite sure it was not $800,000. Even if she could have afforded such, her common sense would make such extravagance impossible.
I have had several Timex watches. They all kept perfect time, and even had calendars and a glowing face to see at night by pushing a button. They had limited lifetimes, but cost only about $30 each.
Stewardship is part of our Christian commitment. How we make our money and how we spend it are primary concerns of the sincere believer. Our faith urges us to be responsible in the use of whatever God places in our possession. We are privileged to think, “How may this money or these possessions be useful to God? How may they help others? Am I a good steward? Do I really know that everything I have is a loan from the Lord, and I am accountable in investing it wisely in a way that honors Him? That would seem to rule out frivolous purchases, no matter what they cost.