Producers vs Consumers

December 29, 2008 at 12:23 am · Filed under Uncategorized and tagged: consumer, increase, investment, maximize, multiply, producer, social work, wealth

In much of our work in the social welfare sector, there is term often used that identifies clients as consumers of the public services that are being provided. While I see that such a designation is in fact a reality of where clients currently may be living as they benefit from a variety of public services, I am concerned that the designation may in fact perpetuate or limit the transformation we all really want to promote in the community, specifically among the individuals whom we serve.

Our world is filled with more consumers than producers. I am amazed at the transformation that has occurred in the agricultural sectors through technological breakthroughs. One farmer can produce enough food to supply whole communities. The law of increase has been set in motion by some to such a degree that these are able to maximize the return on their investment many thousand times over. With the right resources and strategy, tons of produce are harvested, sold and exported even world-wide.

My prayer is that we will shift the paradigm from consumerism to productivity. I believe this is the by-product of healthy faith and responsiveness to the ever-flowing life of God. Grace is provided to bring blessing but is not to stop there. Grace is poured out to transform us into blessings. When we receive the inspiration of God into our souls, by engaging with it, something changes inside of us. We are indeed transformed and as we align ourselves more fully with it, and in turn share it with others, it is multiplied.

It is seen clearly in the life of the boy with the loaves and fish. Blessed and provided for, he shared and placed what was meant for his consumption into others hands. In so doing, his lunch was multiplied to feed thousands. A totally miraculous outcome where there was plenty for Balutan, 12 baskets full in fact. (Balutan is the island practice of sharing left-overs with others who may have not been able to come to a feast).

In order to see a paradigm shift in a welfare economy, we could start speaking those things that are not as though they are. Instead of reinforcing consumerism, lets start calling clients blessings. By seeing them as consumers seems to me that we are also calling them burdens. Lets challenge the individuals we work with to be producers. We are praying for ways that the people with whom we work with will move into multiplication thinking.

Sharing is usually a concept of division or reduction or “spreading the wealth”. It was even heard in the presidential campaign that helping the poor will require a redistribution of wealth. Who is going to shoulder that type of strategy but those who have wealth. Either it will be taxed out of them, or it will be extracted in some other way, that type of governmental intervention will only create greater strife and alienation. It will be counter-productive to force those who have to give to those who have not. That is not the key to economic or social justice.

What we must consider is a way to inspire investment. That little boy invested his lunch in a miracle. He invested his blessings to become a blessing to many. Clearly, it was not taken from him forcefully to be redistributed. Isn’t it amazing that the miracle came through the generosity of a single individual who was willing to share? People often carried some food on their journey in those days, but only one was willing (or perhaps naively filled with childlike faith) to invest their limited resource for the benefit of others.

The challenge to invest in eternal things requires us to make bold steps of faith. To let go of that which is precious to us to be willing to invest it in the blessing of others is the foundation for miracles. This always requires a new perspective, that shifts from self reliance to trusting in God for all that we need.

We have it on good authority that, “GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL WE NEED ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES,” not what we clutch to that we may consume on ourselves.

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