“No Man Has a Right to be Idle”
William Wilberforce:
No man has a right to be idle. Where is it that in such a world as this, that health, and leisure, and affluence may not find some ignorance to instruct, some wrong to redress, some want to supply, some misery to alleviate?
In other words, be constantly on the lookout for good that you can do. Use the time and energy that God has given you not to make your own life easier or more restful primarily, but rather to meet the needs of others, both nearby and on a global scale.
Here are some easy things you can do right now, in just a few minutes:
- Empower an entrepreneur in the developing world with a $25 loan through Kiva.
- Help bring rescue and restoration to victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression through a $250 gift to International Justice Mission.
- Give one person the gift of clean, safe water through a gift of $20 to Charity:Water
- Contribute to theological famine relief by helping supply pastors in the developing world with resources through a gift of $100 to Desiring God.
This is what true productivity is: Being creative and thoughtful in finding ways to use our time and skills to become fruitful in good works.
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12 Responses to ““No Man Has a Right to be Idle””
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About Matt Perman
Follower of Christ. Husband of one, father of three. Former director of strategy at Desiring God. This blog exists to help equip Christians in good works, because that's what productivity is really about.
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You just hit on a point I’ve been thinking about over the last few days as my small group reaches out to a poor single mother in the area. Everyone is really good about pitching in money. Yes, budgets are tight – but many of us can be sacrificially generous and pitch in 25 bucks here or 50 bucks there (or more or less as our resources allow).
But disappointingly, that’s where many of us stop. We’re generous with our money, but our time remains a resource that we hoard. It’s not too terribly hard to get people to pitch in some money to buy supplies for a poor single mother. But as far as getting together to go shopping for her needs, that’s a different story. Good luck getting people together to help her with household chores for a day.
The biblical instructions in James 1:27 and Matthew 25 clearly imply that giving of our time is an element in caring for others. And honestly, it often seems to me that simply giving just money is a cop out. It’s often us giving up what is convenient for us to give up – and patting ourself on the back while we do it.
So while I would echo your comments and would encourage people to think about creative ways of donating their money (like the list you posted), I want to particularly emphasize the final part of your post and its mention of time as a resource to be given: “This is what true productivity is: Being creative and thoughtful in finding ways to use our time and skills to become fruitful in good works.”
Thank you for the links. Recently I have been thinking about the same issue of time vs. money that Loren is commenting on. I have a retired Aunt who spends a lot of time helping others by volunteering for charities. I have never done this. I work at two jobs and donate money to charities, but I sometimes wonder if I am buying out of my obligation to help others simply by giving money, since I’m not meeting them and working with them face-to-face. I justify my behavior by saying that I am following the law of specialization, working at what I am good at, and then using some of the money I make to help. Am I fooling myself? What about my obligation to my employers?
Great points on the importance of giving time an energy, not just money. Giving money is important, but is not enough. On the other hand, using our time to initiate projects and endeavors to help others is often undervalued. And, in undervaluing it, we also miss out on some of the most enjoyable things we can be doing.
A lot more can be said, but great points. I will be talking about a bit in my book, perhaps.
This fits perfectly with the verse I’m preaching on tomorrow:
Galatians 5:13 – For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love rserve one another.
Here is also a message I gave at The Gospel Coalition a few years ago on how time, money, and energy interact. My main point is that we need to maximize our _total_ ability to do good, and this requires thinking not just about giving money, but also how to maximize our time and energy in doing good.
Here’s the audio: http://thegospelcoalition.org/resources/a/The-Gospel-and-Money-with-Matt-Perman
And here are my slides: http://www.slideshare.net/mattperman/the-gospel-and-money-1345175
Roger, no, you’re not fooling yourself. Everyone who serves with charities (myself included) will tell you that we need your money, and if the “law of specialization” enables that, so be it! The funds you invest allow our staff to give their own time in circumstances where it wouldn’t be possible or appropriate for you or me to serve.
One thing to remember is that God has wired us to be changed through the context of relationships. This is true for the people who benefit from our donations, but it’s also true for us.
In my own life, God has grown me in unique ways through personal relationships with the vulnerable. If you carve out some time to get personally involved with the poor or the weak, you’ll discover something He wants to do not just through you, but in you.
Matt, thanks for “The Gospel and Money” link.
I love this quote: “We need to be creative, competent and audacious in our endeavors to serve the global poor.”
Roger,
I think it’s ultimately about being most effective in bringing the most glory to God. How you personally do that best is something that is a tough question. It’s something that really only you can answer.
Shooting from the hip – I can tell you that examining my heart has shown me that I was hoarding my time. Giving money was convenient and that was my motivation. It wasn’t making an honest assessment of what was most effective.
Honestly, if you feel a tinge of guilt about your time usage, you may already know the answer.
The good thing is that spending my time discipling others, fellowshipping, and serving has never been something I’ve regretted. It’s been hectic to be sure but worth it.
Wendy,
Good stuff: “If you carve out some time to get personally involved with the poor or the weak, you’ll discover something He wants to do not just through you, but in you.”
Wendy: Your blog looks great. I’m glad to know about it!
Thanks Matt. I got to hear you at the Christian Web Conference and have been a fan of your blog for some time. Just lurked around until today. Love your work!
Wendy and Loren, thank you for the earnest comments. I appreciate the insight.