NECESSITY FOR THRIFT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 811, 4 November 1929, Page 14

NECESSITY FOR THRIFT

A CHRISTIAN DUTY DIFFERENT FROM MEANNESS “The subject of ‘Thrift’ has been before the public a good deal during the week.” said the Rev. L. H. Hunt, speaking in the Mount Eden Presbyterian Churph last evening. “It may be asked what had thrift to do with a preacher’s main task of making the Gospel known,” he said, in stating that “Thrift” would be the subject of his sermon that evening. “It has a good deal to do with his task. If the Gospel is successfully preached it changes bad people into good people,” said Mr. Hunt. “The lives of Christians as such ought to be a good deal different from the lives of non-Christians. Thrift is a Christian virtue. It is the distinctive mark of a strong man, a man who has recognised his responsibilities. If I say that a man is thrifty as well as honest and industrious, I have said a great deal in his favour. The subject should make a special appeal to us s»s Presbyterians, as many of the Presbyterians in New Zealand are of Scottish descent. Thrift has ever been recognised as a distinctive feature of Scottish life and character among both rich and poor, but more especially among the poor. Thrift has often been and still is confused with meanness, but they are not by any means connected. A thrifty man is one who knows the value of and will not throw it away. An extravagant man knows not its value and he often comes to want.

“Why is thrift a Christian duty? The first and most obvious answer is this, that life for most of us is very uncertain. We know not what will meet us just round the corner, sickness, unemployment, disablement may be the lot of any one of us before this week is out. It is sound .philosophy of life to put something by for a rainy day. The man with a little for such an emergency can sail smilingly through many a calamity that would bring despair to an improvident man To provide for the future is a sound policy. “The second reason Is this, that our money is really not ours. It has just been lent to us by God for a short time. We ought to recognise the teaching of Jesus in regard to stewardship. This applies to the poor as well as to the rich. We have the definite apostolic injunction to give on the first day of the week as God has prospered us. The only consistent Christian system of giving to God is the tithing system. The ancient Jew gave a tenth, and we should give no less. If we could only get Christian people to recognise this principle and live up to it all the financial problems of our church would vanish as with the touch of some magician’s wand. “The third reason is that we owe a duty to those who are dependent upon us to provide for their needs. I think, for instance, that it is a Christian duty for every married man not only to have a savings bank account, but also to insure his life as heavily as possible. If a man will not provide for his own, he hath denied the faith, and he is worse than an infidel. Such is the verdict of Scripture. “The fourth reason is that thrift will help to distribute the burden more equitably when trouble comes. For instance, if a man has saved a little and he is taken ill he is able to pay for medical attention and keep afldat without any appeal to his friends or relatives for help, or without coming on some charitable fund for help. There is no need to send round the hat for such people.”