Proverbs and the Toilet Paper Challenge

You know what I can’t believe? How quickly toilet paper became a central character on the internet and social media. The sheer number of memes, jokes, and parodies that have flourished have the the Corvid-19 the Medici family of the modern era by patronizing a virtual Renaissance of toilet paper art and culture.

Okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but the scarcity of toilet paper is definitely at the forefront of our digital conversation. Scarcity, the sense that there is not enough, fuels the human experience constantly. When was the last time you had an email or saw an add telling you to “buy now” because “supplies are limited”, or because “this sale won’t last”, or some other tactic designed to make you feel anxious and deprived. This anxiety is nothing new; it is as old as human sin.

One of the effects of Adam and Eve’s sin was the introduction of scarcity. Instead of a garden full of fruit trees, Adam and Eve’s descendants would now face a life filled with toil, thorns and weeds. We would fight against the hard ground and the elements rather than rest in the goodness and provision of Yahweh. Scarcity leads to envy and fear, desperation and hoarding. These in turn often culminate in violent oppression, theft and murder, the exact picture we see in the Bible narratives…and today.

Which leads me to Proverbs 11:26, one of many passages that connect righteousness with generosity:

“People curse the one who hoards grain, but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.”

In what situations would someone hoard grain? In a time of famine, a time of scarcity. As humans who live in a sin-cursed world, we keenly sense there isn’t enough to go around. So we hoard and then we justify our lack of generosity to ourselves in ingenious ways.

Life in Christ is not a life of scarcity. Jesus said he came to give abundant life (John 10:10). He tells us to live in light of the fact of God’s generosity toward us, resting in God’s loving care to provide what we need (Luke 6:38).

Here’s the Toilet Paper Challenge: Take a roll of toilet paper, wrap it in paper (shopping bag, gift wrap, printer paper, whatever) and write “Proverbs 11:26” on it with a sharpie marker to remind you of God’s generosity toward us in Christ. Place that role somewhere prominently. This is not a “secret stash”; it’s a reminder of God’s generosity, a reminder that God has abundantly provided all we need for life and godliness (1 Peter 1:2-3), and it is a generous gift – prepared in advance – for a neighbor in need. It doesn’t have to be toilet paper. What scarce resource are you most concerned about doing without?

Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity of scarcity to turn in trust to our generous Father and share with others the gospel of generous love.

Recommended family viewing: BibleProject’s video on Generosity.