Did you change your clocks over the weekend? (About 70 countries currently observe Daylight Saving Time, though they may follow a different schedule than in the US.)
As I was adjusting clocks over the weekend, I contemplated the cost of switching to and from Daylight Saving Time (DST)—and the amount of time it takes, not saves!
First, doing some projections based on my personal clock setting experiences, I calculate that in the United States alone, about 150,000 hours is collectively spent adjusting clocks each fall and spring.
For businesses, there is direct labor cost associated with this effort.
In most cases they can address this on Monday morning, however, for some business clocks must be adjusted at 2:00 a.m., generally requiring overtime pay as well.
To determine the full cost, however, add in devices that are inadvertently broken while trying to set them and that are then replaced.
Next, consider all the commitments, appointments, and flights that are missed because people show up at the wrong time. In the fall, it’s not so bad, as you arrive early—and end up waiting. In the spring it’s a killer, because you arrive too late.
Altogether, this adds up to a huge cost, burden, and time waster—all for the delusion that we are saving time by doing so.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
In my newsletter a four years ago, I recommended we periodically check our credit reports. This is a wise move in order to correct reporting errors and catch possible identity theft.
Other finance-related initiatives include making an annual budget, having life insurance, establishing an emergency fund, and planning for the future.
On the health front is scheduling appointments with the doctor and dentist. In addition, some people regularly check their pulse or take their blood pressure. Even stepping on the scale is a form of a medical checkup.
Aside from health issues, we regularly have the oil in our car changed and follow recommended maintenance to keep it running great. Many take similar steps with their homes.
I also do periodic checkups on my schedule to avoid over-commitment and guard against under-involvement.
So we take control of our finances, watch our health, care for our possessions, and protect our time, all by preforming regular checkups.
What about Relationships?
I too often take relationships for granted. Either they work or they don’t. But I should be intentional about them, too. I need to do a relationship checkup. Maybe you do, too. In my checkup, I ask these questions:
Am I investing in the relationships that are important to me? Do I seek to make our interactions significant? Do people anticipate spending time with me?
Conversely, am I protecting myself from toxic relationships that demand much, give little, and drag me down?
Am I looking to build relationships with others?
Do I need to remove myself from some relationships?
Am I in any enabling relationships?
Even more important is my relationship with family. They, too, deserve a thorough checkup.
On the spiritual front, is God, the most important relationship of all. Maybe we should do this checkup first.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
From time to time, I read about some group that wants to “end poverty” or “stamp out poverty.” I don’t give much thought to such pronouncements—because they will never happen; they can’t.
But before I explain why, let me share two similar-sounding initiatives that are more important and can happen:
Clean Drinking Water
It is estimated that one billion people do not have access to clean drinking water. The result is a serious illness, disease, and premature, preventable death.
There are many organizations working to address this, from drilling wells to offering water purification systems.
The result is clean, safe drinking water for some of the world’s most hurting people. This is something that can be resolved and in which everyone can get involved, be it directly or indirectly (via donations).
Food for the Hungry
Reportedly 800 million to one billion people lack a basic supply of food. Sadly, experts on such things indicate that there is enough food to feed everyone.
It’s just in the wrong place or being obstructed by various governments, factions, or politics.
Apparently, the problem boils down to transportation logistics and corruption. This is a bit harder to address, but again there are many organizations involved in addressing world hunger.
While most people are not in a position to directly help out, anyone can make a donation to help feed a hungry person. So, clean drinking water and food for the hungry are serious problems that can and should be addressed.
Fighting Poverty
While a worthy and noble cause, is of secondary importance to these more basic human needs. The reason that we will never be able to end poverty is that it is an intangible goal.
Ending poverty is about as realistic as a school striving to make all their students above average.
Although they can increase the overall academic level of performance, there will always be those who struggle.
In the same way, no matter how much the overall standard of living is improved, there will always be people at the bottom, who don’t have as much as others, and who will be labeled as impoverished.
Surely we need to help them out, but let’s not delude ourselves into thinking that through concerted effort, we can make poverty go away.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
When you consider the homeless, what do you think they are like? (You do think of people who have no homes, right?)
Here is a statistical profile of the homeless in my local area:
32% of the adults are employed
37% are children
27% of the households are headed by single parents (implying that 63% are two-parent households)
30% have education beyond high school
24% experience chronic homelessness (implying that 76% are short-term and correctable)
11% of homeless adults were homeless as children
The first four stats are surprising, not fitting most people’s stereotypical views of homeless demographics.
The last two figures are also appalling, showing that for some, homelessness is pervasive and even generational. Of course, the flipside of that is that for most, homelessness is a temporary condition that can be overcome.
The more help that is available, the quicker they are able to get back on their feet, again providing for themselves.
Those of us with homes can express gratitude for our own shelter by helping those without homes to get turned around.
This can easily be done by supporting and volunteering at churches, para-church organizations, non-profits, and government agencies that help feed, house, transport, train, and support the homeless as they work towards reversing their situation.
From a practical standpoint, what can we do? We can volunteer our time, we can donate money to worthy causes, and when can lend our voice for advocacy.
No one can fix this problem alone, but by working together we can make a difference.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
My least favorite task is making collection calls, but it was again time to do so. Although it took less than an hour, I spent more than a day getting psyched up for this distasteful task.
I find that I am quite adept at finding other things to do (which are decidedly more interesting and satisfying) in order to avoid “dialing for dollars.”
My perspective is that it is moral and ethical business behavior to pay all bills by their due date, if not sooner. Therefore, I shouldn’t be put in a position to have to ask people for the money that they freely and readily agreed to pay me for my services.
I have found that my customers fall into four categories:
Most pay their bills on time, every time. (Thank you!)
Some generally pay on time, but need an occasional reminder or a resent invoice.
A few always need a phone call before they pay. (This could be a result of corporate policy or cash-flow issues.)
A couple can’t or won’t pay what they owe me.
I once worked for a company whose policy was to pay all bills, net forty-five. It wasn’t a cash-flow issue, but a desire to operate off other people’s money.
This made it most challenging to engage new vendors and keep existing ones happy; they always wanted to be paid net thirty.
Another company I worked for had cash flows issues—sometimes majorly so—and paid almost all bills late, sometimes months late; this was an even more challenging environment.
I have decided to treat my vendors the way I want to be treated: I usually pay bills within twenty-four hours.
That requires a bit more cash reserves—and many would call it fiscally foolish—but I call it the right thing to do.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Jesus says to give “to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s,” Luke 20:25, NIV. While the context of this relates to paying taxes, the ramifications go beyond money.
The Roman government, in general, and its ruler (Caesar), specifically, have an array of expectations that go beyond tax revenue.
Caesar proclaims himself as god, and we see the far-reaching implications. Caesar wants for himself what the Jewish people reserve for God.
Many critics of today’s church claim “the church is only after your money,” and in doing so they imply God only values us for our bank account.
While this is sadly true at too many church institutions, it’s not what Jesus intends for us and is far from God’s heart.
Yes, God wants us to give ourselves to him. As we seek to put this into practice, however, giving to God becomes more art than rule. Here are some considerations.
Give Our Money
When most people think of giving to God, they only think of money. Yet, we can’t actually write a check and hand it to God – and what would he do with it anyway?
We give our money to God by using it to bless others and support causes that align with God’s heart, according to his Holy Spirit direction in our hearts. This may or may not be the local church.
It could be a parachurch organization, to address a pressing social issue, or to help our neighbor in need. Regardless, when we give cheerfully as God directs us, we in effect give to God.
Give Our Time
We spend time with people we value: family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and so forth. The people we ignore must not be important to us. The same applies with God. Again, this may or may not happen at church.
We spend time with God when we fast, pray, study the Bible, and practice silence and solitude.
We also spend time with him when we sing to him and talk with others about him. And when we invite him to join in our gatherings, we spend time with him, because he is there.
Give Our Worship
In singing songs at church about God and to God, we give to him. We can worship him in other ways, too, such as prayers of praise, sharing with others our stories of his goodness, and enjoying his creation. I often worship him when I write.
Give Our Love
Perhaps the most misused, most misunderstood word in English is love: I love my wife, and I love to watch movies. I love nature, and I love the color blue. I love spring, and I love to write.
And I love God. If our love of God means anything, we show it by how we use the money he blesses us with, how we invest our time, and how we worship him. Our love for him is a fitting response to his love for us (see 1 John 4:19).
Give Our Devotion
The act of devotion encompasses the first four items, but our zeal for God also goes beyond them. We set aside other pursuits to focus on God; we put him first, not in word but by our deeds.
Devotion involves sacrifice and focused attention, as though nothing else matters, because nothing else truly does. Giving to God is a lifelong, fulltime pursuit. As our maker, liberator, and friend, he deserves nothing less.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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What are the Ramifications When We are Kind to the Poor?
The book of Proverbs, most of which is written by King Solomon, reels off a list of pithy one-liners. Such is the passage for today’s reading.
One that captured my attention is “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,” (Proverbs 19:17).
We know we should help the poor, and sometimes we do. When we wisely give to them—be it through our time, our possessions, or our money—we benefit them.
We also gain because we do so as an act of obedience and an expression of love. And when we are generous in the name of Jesus, he is subtly celebrated. But there is one more thing.
According to Solomon when we give to the poor, we effectively extend a loan to God. In essence, giving to the poor is giving to God. But Solomon calls it a loan.
Does that mean that God then owes us? Don’t go there, because we already owe him so much more than we can ever repay.
Jesus also encourages us to help the poor. In the parable of the sheep and the goats, the king (emblematic of God) says to his righteous followers: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me,” (Matthew 25:40).
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
Based on a speech Henri Nouwen gave in 1992, this book is the eventual outcome. In it, Henri challenges us to consider the spiritual aspects of raising money for Christian service and outreach opportunities.
It should not be an unpleasant reality but a form of service whereby vision is shared and people are invited into missional participation. In viewing fund-raising as a ministry opportunity, we are able to help the “Kingdom of God come about.”
Before embarking on a fundraising effort, those doing the asking need to first consider their own views and perspectives on money. Their security needs to rest completely in God.
If they have ungodly notions about money, their efforts to raise funds for ministry purposes will be limited.
When approaching wealthy people for donations, there is first the opportunity to minister to them and their needs.
Financially well-off folks struggle, too, and need love. In this way, fund-raising is really about creating long-term relationships with donors and potential donors, inviting people into spiritual communion. It is about building community.
In this, prayer is the starting point of soliciting contributions for ministry. As such, this book is a must-read for those engaged in Christian fundraising.
[A Spirituality of Fundraising, by Henri J.M. Nouwen. Published by Upper Room, 2011, ISBN: 978-0835810449, 64 pages.]
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
When visiting a church with family, the minister prayed, “God you know we need a new church building.”
I recoiled at his claim. They don’t need a new building; they merely want one. There’s a difference between needs and wants, something we must distinguish.
What this church need is to throw aside assumption. They need to look at their situation with a creative eye, not follow what other churches do and society expects.
One of the things I like about this church is that they rent space on Sunday and aren’t shackled by an expensive building that sucks away mass amounts of money and is underused most of the week.
I don’t want to attend a church that will assume a million-dollar debt just to have a nice place to meet on Sunday.
Instead, what if they would commit the same fervor and funds to help those in need or send missionaries around the world? That would be a holistic cause, righteous stewardship of money.
I could go to a church that thought like that; I could support a church that acted like that.
If this church builds a new facility, I doubt I’ll ever go there again. I want to attend a church committed to making a difference in the world around it.
We already have too many churches housed in grand edifices or erecting self-serving monuments to their view of success.
This church doesn’t need a new building. What they need is a new perspective, God’s perspective.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
The major credit card data breach that occurred in December is still making news, with more than 100 million people possibly affected.
With the heightened attention to the vulnerability of financial data, it’s a good reminder toperiodically check our credit reports for errors and fraudulent activity.
Errors can lower our credit score, which might result in less favorable terms or being denied credit, while fraudulent activity can indicate identity theft.
There are three credit reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. Every company that accesses a person’s credit information uses one of the three.
It’s critical to check each one, as they often contain different information. You can check your credit report once a year for free or anytime someone denies you credit.
While it’s tempting to look at all three at the same time each year, a wiser solution is to check one of the three every four months, sequencing between the bureaus. This means we can catch and fix potential problems much sooner.
Married couples need to check both names, as each spouse has a separate credit file. This results in six files to check annually (three for each person). To be extra diligent, check one of the six reports every two months. That’s what I do.
The first time I checked our credit reports, I found a mortgage reported as outstanding even though we paid it off twenty years prior, several credit cards we had closed but still showed open, an address we never lived at, and even an incorrect alias for my wife.
It took a lot of effort over several months to correct all the errors, but I’m glad we did. Now all I need to do is check on a regular basis to make sure no new errors creep in.
Now, after that initial check and correction of errors, it doesn’t take me much time to recheck each year, yet it still seems like a hassle.
However, dealing with denied credit or identity theft after it’s been brewing for a while would be a much bigger hassle.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
