Responsible Use of Wealth (Sirach13:3-19)

Lately, I've thought of buying a new phone for myself and naturally, being in Singapore, I tend to save as much as I can. I'd even save on meals sometimes. This of course affects my decision on what phone to buy, an Apple iPhone, HTC Diamond, or jz an old Nokia model (they're the REALLY tahan lasak ones). I was in a dilemma. Should I save every penny I have as the saying goes, a penny saved is a penny earned, or should I go ahead and get the newest phone out there?

God speaks to us in many ways. One of it is through the BIBLE. Yes, the BIBLE. I came across this particular passage, "Responsible Use of Wealth". I'll just give you the gis of it, knowing how some of you actually resent reading the Bible. 

It isn't right for a selfish person to be rich. What use is money to a stingy person? If a person denies himself in order to accumulate wealth, he is only accumulating it for someone else. How can you be generous to others if you are stingy to yourself? No one is worse off than someone who is stingy with himself; it is a sin that carries its own punishment. Greed will shrivel up a person's soul.

Treat yourself as well as you can, and bring worthy offerings to the Lord. Our time on earth is short. Before we die, be kind to friends, be as generous as possible. Don't deny yourself a single days' happiness. If there's something something you want to do and it is lawful, go ahead! Enjoy yourself, there is no pleasures in the world for the dead. Everything made by human hands will decay and perish, along with the person who made it.

It's the Bible that tells us to enjoy ourselves. But as always, beware of the thin, almost non-existent line between spending to enjoy ourselves and a craving for pleasures. It's two totally different things when you buy an iPhone because it's a good phone, and you need a phone at the moment, and when you buy an iPhone because you've just gotta have that phone. Like my dad always told me, spend if you have to, do not waste.Whenever you go shopping next time, think about this: Why am I buying this?