John Wesley decided as a young man that his first salary of 30 pounds a year was more than enough to live on.  So even though his income graduated every year, his lifestyle did not.  He would give away everything he earned after 30 pounds.  Even when he had one of the highest incomes in England, he continued this extravagant giving.  His sermon “The Use of Money” challenges the ways people earn, save, and give money.

Earn all you can, but not at the expense of your life or of anyone else’s.  Save all you can, rather that using money to instantly gratify yourself with novelties.  Wesley was also concerned with parents spending all their money on their children, creating self-entitled kids who expected to get whatever they want.  Giving all you can was then based on this equation: 1st provide in moderation what you need for yourself; 2nd provide in moderation for your household; 3rd, everything left over is given for God’s use (through the church as well as through charity).  We are challenged to examine everything we spend money on or save up for, and ask whether it is truly a sacrifice to God.

The Bachslyde family returns for this comic.  I use my own image for Baxter (the dad) since I find myself so generally oblivious to this sort of intentional living.  Don’t give up on us John!