"What is a man profited, if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" (Luke 9:25)
Globally, the median household income is $9733. The average life expectancy at birth is 71.0 years.
Here in the US, the median household income is $51939, and the average life expectancy is 79.3 years.
In other words, although there is a correlation between income and life expectancy, the correlation is not proportionate. If you want to dig into this topic more deeply, Google "Preston curve".
Here's my question: is it worth our trouble to earn that extra $42K a year, to add another 8.3 years onto our lives? In trying to gain more years, are we wasting our days? What if our families voluntarily chose to live on $9733 a year? There would be more lasagna and motorcycles and mobile homes and fewer Brussels sprouts and SUVs. But although our lives would be shorter, we would either have a lot more time for serving (if we chose to work less) or a lot more money for giving (if we continued working the same amount).
Have you already taken steps in this direction? I would love to hear your story! Wrestling with a particular aspect of your expenditures? Share your quandary, perhaps someone will have an idea for you.
(Footnote: household income stats are from 2014; life expectancy stats from 2015.)
