How Rich ARE You?
Like everyone else, my wife and I always talk about how we don't have any money. This is primarily because we compare ourselves to others. In reality, we are very well off. We have a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house in a decent neighborhood and TWO minivans. Our 4 children are well fed and clothed, and take part in ice skating lessons, basketball, and private preschool. They got everything they wanted for Christmas. We take vacations out of state and travel regularly, sometimes internationally. We are wired technologically through cell phones and the internet. When our son got cancer last year, our health insurance picked up the tab for him to get some of the best healthcare in the world, and his life is being saved from a fatal disease. We don't just have everything we need, we just about have everything we want. Of course, advertising and envy of our neighbors causes us to be disatisfied and want more, but we are really fine.
Paul Littleton got me thinking about how we are treating the poor around the world. Did you know that almost all Americans are in the richest 5-10% of the world's population? To see exactly how wealthy you are, CHECK THIS OUT. We pay inordinate amounts of money on entertainment (vacations, movies, football coaches :)), and in reality, few of us are in real need. Before I travelled to India a couple of years ago, I thought that there was real poverty in America. Of course, there are children here who go to bed hungry and do not have proper care, but that is usually related more to the lifestyle choices of their parents or some type of unexpected hardship. The grinding, unrelenting poverty of the Third World is foreign to most of us.
We have it so good, and we are so blessed. Yet, we take it all for granted. We talk without ceasing of how we don't have money. We complain about finances. We want more and we want it now. When will this stop and when will we address it for what it is? Idolatry. Jesus said we can't serve two masters. I am as guilty as anyone. The consumerist culture we live in causes us to think that we will not be happy unless we have the next best thing. Christian Spirituality requires us to look at our possessions and our lust for wealth in a different light. We are to be givers, more than receivers. We are to help our brother in need. We are to care for the poor, the sick, and the forgotten. What are our attitudes toward the phenomenal wealth that we have accumulated? How often do you compare yourself to others instead of thank God for what you have?
I'll have some ideas later on some concrete things you can do to make a difference, but for now, have you ever thought that God blessed you with incredible wealth, not for yourself, but so you could be a blessing to others?
Great post!! Living overseas has definitely changed my views on money and wealth.
Posted by: Kevin | January 11, 2007 at 09:19 AM
yep, another amen from another support-based missionary here (joining Kevin who writes from the Philippines).... :) God has blessed us in America and that wealth can and will do much throughout the world.
Posted by: Bryan Riley | January 11, 2007 at 04:59 PM
You're not the only one, we too often think how nice it would be to have more...but then I step outside our door into the third world country where we live and serve and realize there are few people on the planet as blessed as we are. I have nothing to complain about. As for your final question, I believe the reason we are blessed is to be able to bless others by taking the Gospel to them. Psalm 67:7 says, "God blesses us, that all the ends of the earth may fear Him."
Posted by: Guy Muse | January 11, 2007 at 05:37 PM
I heard a question, at a missionary meeting about 40 years ago, that really changed my thinking. "If 3 bedrooms and 1-1/2 baths don't make you happy, what makes you think 5 bedrooms and 4 baths WILL?"
We got more of both now, but they don't make me any happier than I was in those weeks when the kids were little, and a good week was when we had enough change left over to buy a Kraft Pizza-in-a-box for 75 cents and fix it while the Late Movie was on, on Friday nights, after the kids were in bed and Peg and I could enjoy a little treat.
Posted by: Bob Cleveland | January 12, 2007 at 08:29 AM
I didn't realize how rich I was. ouch! :(
Posted by: Kevin Bussey | January 12, 2007 at 10:17 AM
Alan,
You could not be more on the money with this post. We have all fallen for the keeping up with the Jones attitude in some fashion. We think that money and things will make us happy and once you get them we are not happy, so you go after more things, what a vicious cycle we fall into.
Some of the happiest times of my life were growing up in the 60s in a 800 square foot house. We had "1" used car, "1" Black & White tv with rabbit ears (no remote), my dad was in the navy and made about $80 a week. We would be considered poor by most standards but we had everything we needed. We always had food on the table, clothes to wear (hand me downs). We were very happy and very close. I think the main reason we were so happy was that we had not fallen prey to the worldly concepts of happiness.
As for giving, I am most fulfilled when I give of what I have been blessed with and you know the more I give the more the Lord blesses me and my family. I think that promise is in the Bible if I am not mistaken. (haha)
One thing that I do to keep me grounded with my desire for wealth is to think about having great wealth but no family or friends. Which is more important.
Posted by: Charles | January 12, 2007 at 06:48 PM
Charles, you are exactly right! Great perspective!
Posted by: Alan Cross | January 12, 2007 at 10:04 PM
Good post but now what are going to do about what you have realized? I Have seen so many say they realized how blessed they are but what are you doing about it. I'm not say this to bagger or critisize but encourage you to see the blessings of God.
Posted by: Michael | January 13, 2007 at 08:25 AM
An attitude of gratitude is key to a healthy relationship with our Father. Thanks for keeping this subject up on your blog and in your life.
Mike Murdock- one of the worst of the health/wealth pentecostals- says that financial freedom is having all the resources you need to do what God has assigned you to do. I like that. Wealth and the seeking of it for ourselves is sin and serving another master. Using our all of wealth to accomplish what God has assigned to us in His Kingdom plan is where we need to be headed.
Let us be thankful as one's who will one day give an account.
Posted by: Strider | January 15, 2007 at 02:59 AM