THE CBA ATTITUDE
My wife and I were in the car the other day when I had lamented to her about
the general apathy and lack of zeal amongst Christians today. I noted that many
of us would spare no effort to do well at our secular work and will go the
extra mile to upgrade ourselves whenever necessary, and yet when it comes to
spiritual things, most are tardy. Why is this the case? Even as my theological
mindset pointed a finger at indwelling sin, my better half rejoined without
hesitation: “Don’t you understand? It is the CBA attitude.”
For a moment I was dumbfounded. Despite an inbred Singaporean penchant for
acronyms, I had never heard about CBA. But the way that my wife said it sounded
as if it is something so familiar that ignorance is astonishing. “What’s CBA?”
I queried sheepishly. She replied almost incredulously: “Cost-Benefit Analysis!
We do that all the time!” It did not take me long to realise what she meant.
We explored the idea for some distance so that by the time we reached our
destination, I was convinced that I have to write an article with that title—my
wife’s chagrin notwithstanding! I am convinced that the CBA attitude does
indeed have a very powerful, if unconscious, influence on how many of us
conduct ourselves in materialistic Singapore.
Defining the Terms
Before we go any further, it is necessary that we define the terms in the
acronym. In the first place, cost is a very subjective and
relative concept. But in general, when we think about cost, we think about
price or opportunity. When we buy something, it costs because we give something
up in exchange for it. The money with which we use to buy it could be used for
something else. When we spend time to do something, it costs because we could
use the time to do something else. But, of course, we must bear in mind that in
reality, cost takes intangible forms, such as health, honour and respect too.
In the second place, benefit speaks about what we obtain or
derive from the purchase, investment of time, or sacrifice in terms of the
intangible costs. When we purchase something, we are essentially trading cost
for benefit, where the cost is the price of what is purchased, and the benefit
is what is obtained, be it ownership of something hitherto not belonging to us,
or pleasure of some sort. When we work for an employer, by our investment of
our time, we obtain benefit in terms of wages. When we spend time to exercise,
we obtain the benefit of good health, etc.
Now, in the third place, cost-benefit analysis involves
analysing the cost-benefit trade off and making decisions based on our verdict
of profitability. Experience and the light of nature teach us that, in general,
we would always choose to do what we perceive to be more beneficial than
costly, or, in other words, what is cost-effective. And conversely, we are
inhibited from doing certain things because the cost is too high in that it is
too expensive, or we may loose our honour, or we may be punished, or our
conscience may give us pain, etc.
Now, occasionally, after making a cost-benefit analysis, we may think that the
cost overwhelms the benefits, but for some reasons, we go ahead to lay down the
cost. In this case, we would call it a sacrifice. A mother may
regard herself to be sacrificing her career for the sake of her children. A husband
may regard himself as sacrificing his recreation for the sake of doing some
housework, which he believes should be done by his wife. We will return to this
concept of sacrifice later. But if we think for a moment, we will quickly
realise that no mere man will make any real sacrifice although we may perceive
ourselves to be sacrificial. The mother in question, in the final analysis,
does consider the benefit of her staying at home a greater benefit than going
to work. It may be that the benefits come by way of pleasure of seeing her
children grow to fear and love the Lord. It may be that her husband is pleased
with her. It may be that she knows she is pleasing the Lord. Whatever the case
may be, these things would have been considered in her cost-benefit analysis
(and indeed, she would have analysed correctly) and therefore it is not really
a sacrifice on her part to stay at home. The same may be said of the man who
decides to do housework instead of recreating himself.
We Do that All the Time
We may not realise it, but in reality, as finite rational creatures, all our
decisions in life, not just the big ones, and not just those that have to do
with purchases and use of our times, are based on our analysis of the
cost-benefit trade off.
We would always do what we perceive to be the most desirable course of action
at any moment. Why do we eat when we do? We eat because we believe at the
moment that it would satisfy our hunger or that it is pleasurable to eat at the
moment. On the other hand, if we have just taken a sumptuous dinner, we may
refuse to take another bite, because we feel full and any additional food will
add to our discomfort rather than satisfaction. On a weekday morning, we may
grudgingly drag our feet to work or to school. We may think we have no choice.
But the fact is that we have. We could choose not to go and so face the
consequences. But we go because, in our analysis, we find that it is not
worthwhile to play truant or to fail to turn up for work without reason. The
cost is simply too great: whether it be torment in conscience where we have a
good sense of responsibility, or lost of wages where we are daily rated, or
punishment, as the case may be.
In all that we do, we have a choice. Choice is available even in the classic
case when a person is held at gun-point with the question: “Your money or your
life?” He can choose to hand over his money if he believes that it is more
beneficial to live on. On the other hand, he could also choose to die if he
feels that he would rather not live if he had to part with his hard-earned
savings.
We may say that all our decisions in life, whether secular or
spiritual, good or bad, will be based on our cost-benefit analysis of the
choices confronting us. Eve took of the forbidden fruit because she believed
Satan, that the fruit was able to make one wise (Gen 3:6). Joseph refused the
advances of Potiphar’s wife because the cost of sinning against God would be
too great (Gen 39:9). Judas Iscariot betrayed the Lord because he had perceived
the thirty pieces of silver were worth more than the Lord’s friendship or
blessing. Peter denied the Lord because he perceived his reputation and life to
be more important than his relationship with the Lord at that point of time.
Paul refused to heed his companions’ persuasion not to go to Jerusalem (Acts 21:12–13) because the cost of
imprisonment was insignificant compared to the joy of seeing the Gospel
furthered and Christ’s name magnified.
CBA in Christian Life
Indeed, the entire conduct of our Christian life must, in some sense, be shaped
by a spiritual cost-benefit analysis. The Lord Jesus teaches this doctrine when
He says:
For which of you, intending to build
a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have
sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is
not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man
began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war
against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able
with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or
else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and
desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh
not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple (Lk 14:28–33).
This passage has often been inadequately interpreted as teaching only a call to
count the cost before becoming a disciple of Christ. Actually,
verse 33 (and verses 26–27) should indicate to us the fact that the Lord was
speaking of counting the cost in comparative terms rather than absolute terms.
In other words, He is not saying that we should sit down merely to total up how
much it would cost to be a disciple. The Lord is teaching us to evaluate to see
if we would perceive the benefit of having Christ as being worth the cost of
bearing our cross and forsaking all that we have. In a sense he is telling us
that if we do not find it to be worthwhile to follow Him even if it means
forfeiture of life and property, then we cannot be His disciples.
In many ways, this evaluation must be carried out throughout our Christian
life. Many things in this world will clamour for our attention, and will
compete for our time for, and affection with, the things of God. We have only
24 hours each day, and a limited strength and material resources, which we have
to apportion wisely. The cost of having a time of personal Bible reading and
prayer each day may mean less time to sleep, less time for play or less time to
spend with the children, etc. There is a cost for attending prayer meeting in
that the same time could have been used for recreation or visitations or even
self-improvement night classes. There is a cost for lending a hand to someone
in need, for it will mean time and energy investment. There is a cost for
giving an offering to the Lord for the same amount of money could have been
used for investment or for pleasure. There is cost for maintaining a Christian
testimony at work, because it may mean forfeiture of our promotion because our
refusal to work on the Sabbath may easily be misconstrued as being disloyal to
the company, or of putting personal interest above the company’s interest. But
the disciple of Christ, doing a cost-benefit analysis with the mind of Christ,
will consider these costs to be negligible compared to the eternal weight of
glory and heavenly blessings. How could costs that are temporal and perishable
be regarded as too great for benefits which are eternal?
It is in this sense, particularly, that it is wrong to speak about sacrificing
for Christ (do not mistake Roman 12:1 in which Paul’s emphasis is total
consecration rather than sacrifice, as in giving of ourselves for little or no
benefit). How could we be sacrificing when, for some temporal and finite costs,
we receive infinite and eternal benefits? Only Christ may be said to have truly
sacrificed Himself, for God who is perfect has no need of us whatsoever.
CBA Awry
Bearing in mind that our choices are always bounded to our inclinations or to
what we consider to be of the greatest benefits at the point of choice, we have
to conclude that there are times when our choices are wrong. Our choices are
wrong when we analyse the cost-benefit equation wrongly and so take a wrong
course of action based on our erroneous judgment. A salesman at the door may
persuade you to purchase a vacuum cleaner which has multiple functions,
including shampooing the carpet, exterminating termites and cutting grass. You
are convinced that the exorbitant price is worth it for such a wonderful vacuum
cleaner and so you bought it. Later as you think about your purchase, you
realised that you have been conned, for you live in a HDB flat! You may
conclude then that you have made the wrong choice based on a wrong analysis of
cost-benefit.
We do not make this kind of mistakes too often. Or at least, our mistakes, as
they pertain to the things of this world, are generally not so costly. However,
the same may not be said of our mistakes when it comes to our cost-benefit
assessments that involve spiritual cost and benefits. When we fall into sin, we
are really overestimating the benefits of the temporal pleasures, which the
lust of our flesh promises, and belittling the cost of sin and the wrath of God
against sin. Similarly, when we have to make a choice between spending time for
spiritual exercises or bodily recreation, then choosing the latter will often
be wrong, objectively speaking, since “godliness is profitable unto all things,
having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” (1 Tim
4:8). There are, of course, always extenuating circumstances, for we are both
corporeal and spiritual: if we neglect our bodies, our souls may be affected
too. But if we think about it, we will realise that, in most cases, our choices
of bodily recreation against attendance at the means of grace are due to a
faulty analysis of the cost-benefit equation.
But why do we make such mistakes? The root cause is, of course, indwelling sin.
But we cannot excuse ourselves based on indwelling sin, for we have the
responsibility of making right choices in our lives too (Josh 24:15; Mt 6:33,
etc.). But if it is so clear that spiritual benefits have eternal values and so
outweigh temporal benefits, why do we make wrong choices?
Let me suggest five possibilities. Firstly, I believe, that many of us are so
dulled in our minds, because of the care of the world, that we simply drift
along with the world without really thinking about how we are using the talents
that God has assigned us. But secondly, let me suggest that we often allow
Satan to take advantage of our remaining corruption by which our understanding
remains in partial darkness and our hearts in partial blindness (cf. Eph 4:18;
Heb 3:12–13; 2 Cor 11:3). When this happens, we simply do not think as
rationally as we ought to, and so choose the poor substitutes. Thirdly, I am
certain that many of us simply lack the faith to believe that spiritual
benefits outweigh by far the temporal costs involved in obtaining them. Fourthly,
I am quite sure that few of us really believe that “It is more blessed to give
than to receive” (Acts 20:35), especially when what we are giving is intangible
and so may receive no visible response, such as in the case of worship in
spirit and truth. Fifthly, many of us will not admit it, but most of us are
simply antinomians: living without regards to the laws of God, so that, for
example, the Fourth Commandment does not even figure in our cost-benefit
consideration of how to spend the Lord’s Day.
It is particularly the combination of the latter four problems that gives rise
to what my wife called the CBA attitude. You see, most of us, in materialistic Singapore, do consciously
make cost-benefits analysis in the use of our time and talents. We need only to
search our hearts to know that this is the case. However, because our minds are
darkened by sin, by the love of the world, and by unbelief, we would often
(consciously or unconsciously) attribute a very low value to the glory of God,
and to spiritual benefits, if we bring them into consideration at all.
In other words, many of us are still thinking largely in terms of temporal
benefits, such as wealth, status and possession. These are the things, which we
may reap immediately. These are the things that we can see or handle very soon
after our investment of talent and time. Five hours a week spent attending
night class is more or less guaranteed to reap a degree after a couple of
years. Working overtime may reap overtime pay, or the satisfaction of having
completed an assigned project or at least recognition of being hardworking by
the boss, which will accrue to a future promotion.
Spiritual benefits, on the other hand, are intangible and hoped-for rather than
available immediately, for we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor 5:7). Paul
does indeed speak of godliness “having promise of the life that now is” (1 Tim
4:8). But these benefits are often unseen, unrecognised and unfelt. Thus, many
of us are quick to excuse ourselves from them, and would rather make use of our
time and talents for investments with tangible and more immediate benefits.
Conclusion
Beloved, I write all these not simply to tickle our minds as we ponder on the
general lethargy that is plaguing the church of Christ
in our age. I write all these that we may know our own heart’s condition, that
our minds may be renewed to think differently, that we may withstand the wiles
of the devil.
There are, of course, many other factors that determine our decisions and
choices, such as whether we truly love the Lord more than the world; such as
our present circumstantial limitations pertaining to children and work; and
such as the ability or inability of the minister to preach messages that are
considered worthwhile to hear. But whatever the case may be, I am sure that a
skewed attitude of cost-benefit analysis is one of the ways in which many of us
are being led astray rather naïvely.
Now, I am naïve to think that with this skewed attitude of cost-benefit
analysis infecting so many of our minds, that this article will be read by a
sufficient number of us to justify the hours put into it. In a certain sense, I
am even more naïve to think that those who really need to read this and be
challenged by it, will read it to this point or be challenged by it at all.
But I believe that the love of Christ will prevail and the Holy Spirit will
illumine and convict all who are His. As long as there is a glimmering of faith
in a professing believer, I will not give up; for I desire the glory of God,
and I covet His best for His children whom Christ has redeemed. I will pray
until Christ be formed in him (Gal 4:19). I will pray till he sees that it is
more blessed to give than to receive. I will pray till he begins to live with
eternity in view. I will provoke and encourage until his life is transformed by
the renewing of his mind. Beloved, will you not join me to pray and to “exhort
one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened
through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we
hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end” (Heb 3:13–14).
—JJ Lim
