Simple Living in the United States

I have been reading Christopher Heuertz's book, Simple Spirituality: Learning to See God in a Broken World. There are a number of things Heuertz wrote that I don't agree with, but one area in which God has been challenging me has to do with living a simple lifestyle while caring for the needs of the poor. As I read, I think about all of the material blessings we have been given and know in my heart that my family needs to get rid of many things. A plan has come together to sell those things we absolutely don't need, pay off all of our debts, and give more of our income to the church to be used for ministry to the poor. 

A great plan, but then I get a strange thought. What if the body of Christ, the church, lived this way? What a testimony we would have in this culture of excess!! 

Why don't we do it? A proper understanding of stewardship reveals that nothing we have and nothing we are belongs to us. It is all God's. We are merely entrusted with His riches to use for His glory, ministering to His children and those He loves. This doesn't mean that we live as paupers. It means that God gave us the resources to use properly. What does that mean? In the next few days (or weeks, months, etc.), I am going to be thinking about the theology of wealth. Please share any comments or thoughts you have on the subject. Join me on this journey.