"Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."" Luke 12:16
Fourteen years ago this month, my husband (then fiance) and I boarded a plane along with ten or twelve other North Carolina Baptists and headed down to the Central American country of Honduras. We felt moved to go and assist in the reconstruction that was taking place following the devastation caused from Hurricane Mitch.
While I have trouble remembering details of what happened the day before yesterday, I can vividly recall names, faces, scenery, and interactions that we had while in Honduras. Seeing first hand the difference between the first world and the third world was life changing for me.
I came back to the good ole U.S.A. with almost a sense of guilt for being born in such an affluent nation while approximately 85% of the residents of Planet Earth are born in a third world country.
However, when I stopped to think about it, I began to feel more pity for my fellow Americans than I did for the Hondurans. You see, here in America, our affluence severely affects how we understand our need for God. We don't have to rely on God for the most basic life needs like food, shelter, clothing and water, so our reliance on God is less for the provision of our needs, but rather the provision of our wants.
On the other hand, the Hondurans have a need for God to be active and present in every facet of their life. This dependence on God produces a sincere and unhindered time of worship in their churches and a thankful word that falls off of their lips everytime they are given the opportunity to give God glory for something He's done.
When I stop and think about the vast differences between the two cultures, I'm reminded of all of the warnings in Scripture that advise us to be aware of the potential pitfalls of wealth. Jesus spoke a mouthful whenever He warned His followers of the toll that abundance and greed can take on your life. He was echoing the sentiments of the wise author of Proverbs who wrote:
"A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper." Prov. 28:25
You see, although the people of Honduras weren't wealthy according to our standards, they were far more prosperous than many of us. Many of them have learned to rely on the Lord for practically everything, so their prosperity might not be in material gain, but rather in spiritual gain.
Here in America, our prosperity has spoiled us. The events that tend to strengthen our prayer lives are when some of our first world luxuries are compromised. Truly ponder what your typical reaction might be to the following first world problems:
I hope you hear my heart today as I've tried to remind you that all of this "stuff" that we Americans have acquired -- it's not important in the least. This "stuff" that has been afforded to us by our wealth and high standards could actually be hindering our relationship with God if we allow it to have preeminence over Him.
I encourage you to stop and take an inventory of your life today and where your trust lies. Do you trust in what you're able to acquire with your own two hands and a little hard work, or do you trust in the provisions of the Maker of the universe?
Also, take some time to thank God for the over abundance of blessings that we as Americans experience on a daily basis. Thank Him for the most basic essentials like a tube of toothpaste, clean water, indoor plumbing, carpet or hardwood floors (rather than dirt), electricity, good roads to travel on and several personal vehicles to do so, and a bed (rather than a hammock) to sleep in each night.
Don't ever let the blessing of being born in this great land ever become a hindrance to your trust in the God who created this great land.
Fourteen years ago this month, my husband (then fiance) and I boarded a plane along with ten or twelve other North Carolina Baptists and headed down to the Central American country of Honduras. We felt moved to go and assist in the reconstruction that was taking place following the devastation caused from Hurricane Mitch.
While I have trouble remembering details of what happened the day before yesterday, I can vividly recall names, faces, scenery, and interactions that we had while in Honduras. Seeing first hand the difference between the first world and the third world was life changing for me.
I came back to the good ole U.S.A. with almost a sense of guilt for being born in such an affluent nation while approximately 85% of the residents of Planet Earth are born in a third world country.
However, when I stopped to think about it, I began to feel more pity for my fellow Americans than I did for the Hondurans. You see, here in America, our affluence severely affects how we understand our need for God. We don't have to rely on God for the most basic life needs like food, shelter, clothing and water, so our reliance on God is less for the provision of our needs, but rather the provision of our wants.
On the other hand, the Hondurans have a need for God to be active and present in every facet of their life. This dependence on God produces a sincere and unhindered time of worship in their churches and a thankful word that falls off of their lips everytime they are given the opportunity to give God glory for something He's done.
When I stop and think about the vast differences between the two cultures, I'm reminded of all of the warnings in Scripture that advise us to be aware of the potential pitfalls of wealth. Jesus spoke a mouthful whenever He warned His followers of the toll that abundance and greed can take on your life. He was echoing the sentiments of the wise author of Proverbs who wrote:
"A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper." Prov. 28:25
You see, although the people of Honduras weren't wealthy according to our standards, they were far more prosperous than many of us. Many of them have learned to rely on the Lord for practically everything, so their prosperity might not be in material gain, but rather in spiritual gain.
Here in America, our prosperity has spoiled us. The events that tend to strengthen our prayer lives are when some of our first world luxuries are compromised. Truly ponder what your typical reaction might be to the following first world problems:
- Power outages
- Traffic jams, while sitting quite comfortably in your air-conditioned car
- An hour long wait for a table at a sit down restaurant
- Internet at home or work is running slow
- Pantry not big enough to store your stockpile of groceries
- Toilet stopped up
I hope you hear my heart today as I've tried to remind you that all of this "stuff" that we Americans have acquired -- it's not important in the least. This "stuff" that has been afforded to us by our wealth and high standards could actually be hindering our relationship with God if we allow it to have preeminence over Him.
I encourage you to stop and take an inventory of your life today and where your trust lies. Do you trust in what you're able to acquire with your own two hands and a little hard work, or do you trust in the provisions of the Maker of the universe?
Also, take some time to thank God for the over abundance of blessings that we as Americans experience on a daily basis. Thank Him for the most basic essentials like a tube of toothpaste, clean water, indoor plumbing, carpet or hardwood floors (rather than dirt), electricity, good roads to travel on and several personal vehicles to do so, and a bed (rather than a hammock) to sleep in each night.
Don't ever let the blessing of being born in this great land ever become a hindrance to your trust in the God who created this great land.
Comments
Post a Comment