“A Duty Enjoined Upon us by God
to Make Provision for the Future
and the Day of Need”
by
Ellen G. White
“This
Counsel May Help You—You have been in a
business which would at times yield you large profits at once. After you have
earned means, you have not studied to economize in reference to a time when
means could not be earned so easily, but have expended much for imaginary wants. Had you and your wife understood it to be a duty that God
enjoined upon you to deny your taste and your desires and make provision for
the future instead of living merely for the present, you
could now have had a competency and your family have had the comforts of life.
You have a lesson to learn.... It is to make a little go the longest way.” {AH
395.2}
Some think that we are never to
provide for a day of need. That is not according to the Spirit of Prophecy as
the following Ellen White statements attest. Such individuals are “all wrong”
on this and many issues while thinking they are “all right!” This situation
accrues because they do not consult all the weight of evidence on any given
issue. Ellen White wrote this statement to the SDA church at large:
“What greater deception can
come upon human minds than a confidence that they are right, when they are all wrong? The message of the True Witness finds the
people of God in a sad deception, yet honest in that deception. They know
not that their condition is deplorable in the sight of God. While those addressed
are flattering themselves that they are in an exalted spiritual condition, the message of the True Witness breaks
their security by the startling denunciation of their true situation of
spiritual blindness, poverty, and wretchedness. The testimony, so cutting and
severe, cannot be a mistake; for it is the True Witness who speaks, and his
testimony must be correct.” {RH, September 16, 1873 par. 5}
Chapter
36—Providing for the Day of Need -- Systematic Savings Advised
“Every week
you should lay by in some secure place five or ten dollars not to be used up
unless in case of sickness. With economy you may place something
at interest. With wise management you can save something after paying your
debts.”—Letter 29, 1884. {2SM 329.1}
“I have known a family receiving
twenty dollars a week to spend every penny of this amount, while another
family of the same size, receiving but twelve dollars a week, laid aside one or
two dollars a week, managing to do this by refraining from purchasing
things which seemed to be necessary but which could be dispensed with.”—Letter
156, 1901. {2SM 329.2}
“Preparing
for the Day of Reduced Income--You might today have had a capital
of means to use in case of emergency and to aid the cause of God, if you
had economized as you should. Every week a portion of your wages should be
reserved and in no case touched unless suffering actual want, or to render back
to the Giver in offerings to God.... {2SM 329.3}
The means you have earned has not
been wisely and economically expended so as to leave a margin, should you be
sick and your family deprived of the means you bring to sustain them. Your family
should have something to rely upon if you should be brought into straitened
places.—Letter 5, 1877. {2SM 329.4}
“A Young Man Counseled to Economize
and Save--It is certain you have not economized in everything or you would now
have something to show as the result of that wise economy which is praiseworthy
in any young man. To carefully reserve a portion of each week’s wages
and lay by a certain sum every week which is not to be touched, should be your
rule....”{2SM 330.1}
“Diligence in business, abstinence
from pleasure, even privation, so long as health is not endangered, should be
cheerfully maintained by a young man in your circumstances, and you would
have a little competency untouched should you become sick, that the charities
of others would not be your dependence. You have needlessly expended much
means which now might be on interest, and you be
having some returns....” {2SM 330.2}
“You might have had, even from your
limited wages, means in reserve for any demand. It might have been invested in
a lot of land which would be increasing in value. But for a young man to live
up to the last dollar he earns shows a great lack of calculation and
discernment. {2SM 330.3}
“Since mortals have bodies and heads
and hearts to be provided for, some provision for the body must be made in
order to hold a proper position in the world. Not to meet the world’s
standards—oh, no, no indeed; but to be of influence in the world for good. Love
and sympathy may be exercised, and the tenderness of common brotherhood.—Letter
41, 1877. {2SM 330.4}
“Parents, teach your children
self-denial. Teach them not to spend their money for bows and ribbons and
things that are unnecessary, but to spend all they can spare for the relief of
the needy. Children, for Christ’s sake, learn to deny yourselves.
Put
your savings into a self-denial box for the colored work. In the great day of judgment, every soul will be rewarded according as
His works have been. The Lord will pronounce His blessing upon those who have
denied themselves for His sake.” {15MR 324.3}
Chapter
37—The Aged Who Have No Homes
[The instruction presented here was
given by Mrs. White in a meeting called for counsel at the camp meeting held at
Brisbane, Australia. Further counsel on this topic may be found in Welfare
Ministry, 237-238.—Compilers.]
“At nine o’clock we meet in the large
tent with a few of the brethren to talk over the matter which is constantly
urged upon us—that of the aged people who have no homes. What will be done with
them?” {2SM 331.1}
“Build Up a Reserve Fund—Evangelistic work is not to be carried
on in the selfish, self-exalted manner in which Elder _____ has carried it on.
The means that come into the hands of the workers in the Lord’s cause belong to God and are to be used in an economical
manner. When large sums of money are given to the work, let a portion of the means be laid by;
for there will be emergencies to meet in the Lord’s great vineyard.”—Letter 149, 1901. {Ev
89.2}
“The light that the Lord has given me
was repeated: Let every family take care of its own relatives, making suitable
provision for them. If this is not possible, then the church should bear
the burden. The Lord will bless His church in exercising benevolence. They are
God’s poor, and are not to be left unhappy and destitute.” 2SM 331.2}
“If the church cannot do this, then
the conference must take it up and make provision for the Lord’s needy ones. Provision
should also be made for the orphans. If these cannot be taken care of by
their relatives, then the church or the conference must take the care of them,
and place them in suitable homes.”—Manuscript 151, 1898. {2SM 331.3}
Note by Ron: How could individual
churches and/or the conferences of the church make provision for the Lord’s
needy ones and orphans if they did not make provisions at all as some seem to
think is wrong?
“Chapter 65—Provision for the Future—Home
Ownership and Savings Versus Spendthrift Habits—Brother
and Sister B have not learned the lesson of economy.... They would use all as
they pass along, were it ever so much. They would enjoy as they go and then,
when affliction draws upon them, would be wholly unprepared.... Had Brother and
Sister B been economical managers, denying themselves, they could ere this have
had a home of their own and besides this have had means to draw upon
in case of adversity. But they will not
economize as others have done, upon whom they have sometimes been dependent. If they neglect to learn these lessons, their
characters will not be found perfect in the day of God.”
{AH 395.1}
A God Enjoined Duty to Make Provision for the Future
“This Counsel May Help
You—You have been in a business which would
at times yield you large profits at once. After you have earned means, you have
not studied to economize in reference to a time when means could not be earned
so easily, but have expended much for imaginary wants. Had
you and your wife understood it to be a duty that God enjoined upon you to deny
your taste and your desires and make provision for the future
instead of living merely for the present, you could now have had a competency
and your family have had the comforts of life. You have a lesson to learn....
It is to make a little go the longest way.” {AH 395.2}
“To a Family That
Should Save Systematically—You
might today have had a capital of means to use in case of emergency and to aid
the cause of God, if you had economized as you should. Every week a portion of your wages should be
reserved and in no case touched unless suffering actual want,
or to render back to the Giver in offerings to God....” {AH 395.3}
“The means you have
earned has not been wisely and economically expended so as to leave
a margin should you be sick and your family deprived of the means you bring to
sustain them. Your family should have something to rely upon if you should
be brought into straitened places.” {AH 396.1}