Struggle
Uncategorized November 12th, 2009So here is what I am struggling with at the moment. If I am being honest, I am having a hard time thinking that my blessings come from God when there are so many others in the world who aren’t blessed. How can I thank God for my meals when so many do without? How can I thank God for my house when so many are homeless? If I do, it seems like i put God in the place of not caring about them as much as about me. It seems more appropriate to think of life as the blessing and the earth and the universe as the blessing. Everyone is blessed that way, and God doesn’t seem to play favorites.
Another way to say this is why would God bless Americans with materialistic things and unhealthy food while leaving other nations so impoverished and without basic needs? Is it because of God’s blessings, or because human action? I tend to think the latter. Therefore, why would I thank God for myself benefitting from a system of inequality put in place by humans that allows me to have more than others? I don’t think I should.
Can anyone help me with perspective here?
I think you are giving entirely too much credit to human accomplishments. I find it difficult to believe that our wealth is the result of all our own actions. There has got be at the very least a fair amount of dumb luck. And while it may not make you feel better, God calls us to be thankful for what he has given us and for those of us with more he commands that we do something about it.
You and I may disagree on OT perspectives and interpretation but this theme runs throughout the NT and with Jesus himself.
In the parable of the Talents (Matt 25 and Luke 14), God has no problems giving some people more and other less. But its what we do with what we’ve been given that counts. To whom much is given much is required.
The apostle Paul had no problem living in abundance sometimes and to be needy other times (Philippians 4:10-14). The point for him was being content in *both* circumstances.
If you feel guilty for your abundance than take Jesus’ words to heart. Luke 16 “I tell you, use worldly [unrighteous] wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”
What kind of friends should you gain?
“When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14
If you are looking to the Bible for a picture of equality of wealth you won’t find it in government or economic systems, you’ll find it in the Church (Acts 2&4) and yet not in every church (Eph 6 & Col 3).
I think that they Bible pretty clearly shows that God does bless people with more and to some he gives less. You shouldn’t feel guilty for that which you posses unless you personally got through unrighteous means and if you aren’t doing what he has asked you to do with it.
I believe that sometimes God gives us things that other people don’t have in order that we may see that these people don’t have those things so that we may share what God has given us with them. For example, I was walking up to a coffeehouse when this homeless guy walked up to me and asked for a cup of coffee. Stupidly, I said I didn’t have any cash, but I had a debit card (which I did not think of). So I totally could’ve given him something I had but he didn’t.
Much like Jesus gave us the Gospel, we are to make disciples of all nations by passing on the Gospel.
this is a hard struggle. Where do we go from here? I’m certainly not ready to give up a lot of what I have. What else is there for us to do? Is God calling us to bless others should we go out of our way to bless as many as we can or just those who He sends our way?
Or
should we change the way our culture and goverment looks at food and materials? it seems like a large job for such a small community to achieve. It discourages me.
No posts since November, really? Has this blog died and gone to blogger purgatory?
Anyway, I guess it’s been a while since I’ve check this blog. I want to comment though. I agree mostly with Brendan. Read through Proverbs, Hard work = wealth. That’s the message taken from an awful lot of those verses.
Second, If you are blessed with more, that’s your opportunity to share with those who have less.
Third, God never suggested that he would treat people fairly or equally. Beyond food, how is it fair that a billion people have never heard the name of Jesus Christ but people in America have hundreds of versions of Bibles, churches, and Christian music festivals to choose from? Clearly God took action to bless guys like Jacob and Joseph with material stuff. Just as clearly, God didn’t bless Zacheus or Nebuchadnezer (sorry for the spelling there) with their stuff, they just got it the regular way.
More to the point, should you feel bad about your stuff? Not if you’ve earned it and come by it honestly. Does God expect you to give it all away to help the helpless? God loves generosity. I have wealthy friends with companies that feel like they do more good with their companies than by giving them away. They employ many people and are generous with their excess when possible.
Hope you’re doing well Chad. Now get back to blogging!