Wastefulness versus generosity.

Mr Clenham, in Dickens' Little Dorrit, says "I was the child of parents who weighed, measured and counted everything" . I think his parents were typical of the Victorian culture.

On a tape I heard recently that too much of what we pass off as 'Biblical' is little more than merely Victorian. I guess I ought to do a wordsearch on the matter of wastefulness but with my limited knowledge of the Bible I have a feeling that I won't find too many examples of wastefulness being defined as sin.

Considering creation around us there are limitless examples of God's frivolous extravagance. EG. lemmings, pollen, acorns, snowflakes. sperm, newly-hatched crocodiles to name but a few. I suppose that everyone can instantly see in what ways these examples demonstrate 'wastefulness' as defined by our Victorian forbears.

Does that mean I am advocating scary generosity? Well, yes, actually, I am. God demonstrates tremendous generosity towards us (and think of all that GOLD in the temple - and it even was all lost track of, not 'loooked after' or stored away, ultimately). God wastes His kindness on the reprobates and on the righteous (who very often are too stingy-of-mind to recognise it.).

Being a tightwad by birth, training and culture, I am greatly afraid that all these years I have been training my own children up in Victorianism more than in the Bible - not just in this one area. It is somewhat depressing to consider how long one has been walking in the Way and how little progress one has made in the REALLY important areas (not the merely cerebral).

I am even more afraid that if I change now I shall look like I am criticising others who are still Victorian in their mindset - however, it is not too late for my children, they are still young enough to learn and practice the bounteous, gracious generosity demonstrated by the Almighty, boundlessly forgiving, Saviour.