This generation's preachers live lavish lifestyles and houses, and they help the needy and poor. Whereas the previous generation of preachers lived mediocre lives and supported the poor and needy. They chose to live mediocre lives because they could easily connect and relate to the poor and those in need. They took the decision to lead a mediocre lifestyle. They stayed far away from abundance of wealth and financial stability because it might make them lose their dependency on God. Dependency on God is more important to them rather than financial stability. They have seen that God can be trusted to meet their and other people's needs. They do not have big bank balances, but they know how to draw from an unlimited Heaven's Bank. Dependency on God is the key by which they draw from heaven's bank. Heaven's bank contains unfathomable, limitless and endless treasures of Christ that can meet the needs of millions of universes, and they know how to withdraw them.
They never want to lose their dependency on God. They are willing to struggle and depend on God rather than depend on human help. They have only 5 loaves and 2 fish to help others in need, yet with their 5 loaves they used to ask God to provide for 5000 people with them. For them the 5 loaves and 2 fish which they have are enough to support for 5000 people. Because of their dependency in God, they witnessed God's multiplication power, as a basket containing five loaves continued to multiply until 5000 people could eat satisfactorily. They have witnessed God's multiplication power and miracles and found out that He can be trusted. Even when the need was great, they had little, and with that little with God's help, they were able to meet the great need. They had little, but there was never a shortage or scarcity.
Their needs were always met. They never had an abundance of money or provisions, but with the little they had they used to help thousands of people. They always had 5 loaves, whereas the need was for 5000 people. They were aware of their inability to meet the needs of others, but they also recognised God's great hand which can provide for many people. They always depended on God’s provisions rather than their own provisions. If given the choice between financial stability and dependency on God, they would choose dependency on God. They lived their lives in such a way that they were always dependent on God.
A God-dependent lifestyle is a simple and mediocre lifestyle, but never an abundant and lavish lifestyle. It does not have big bank balances or financial stability, but it draws from Heaven's Bank the riches and treasures of Christ. Some believers lives are transformed as they observe the simple and mediocre lives of God-dependent preachers. This connect of simple and mediocre lifestyle is missing in our generation, and the preachers are not able to impact or influence the lives of believers. Believers are not able to see the simple Jesus in the lives of preachers. Believers are taken aback by the lavish lifestyles of preachers.
Let our lifestyles should not affect the faith of people, but rather should attract many people to Jesus. When Amy Carmichael went to Japan as a missionary, when she was sharing the Gospel, an elderly woman was more interested in Western clothes and attire than in the Gospel. Following that event, she began wearing Japanese dresses so that she could connect with people and avoid any deviations from the Gospel because of her western attire. Let our Christ like lifestyles lead many people to Jesus.
