2 Corinthians 8:13-15 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."
What would our communities look like if we used our excess to supply for those in need? Doing so in a way that supplied us all equally, with no one having excess. What if we sacrificed our pleasures and comforts, just so that others could enjoy the basic needs of shelter, food, water, and clothing? What if we didn't think of multiple cars, cable tv, frivilous wardrobes, dinners out, and savings accounts as "needs"? What would the world look like if all Christians lived sacrificially? What if I lived sacrificially? And by that I don't just mean giving some of my resources, to the extent that my quality of life doesn't change, but what if I REALLY sacrificed?
Some very convicting thoughts. I'm selfish. With my resources. With my time. With my provision.
It's overwhelming to figure out where to start. When I have so much, and others have so little. And yet, by the standards of my society, I don't feel that I have that much. Perhaps that's the danger, is that there are always others with more resources, making me feel so much smaller, and paralyzed. Isn't that just how satan would have it?
Shannon
Shannon
1 comment:
Yes, that's exactly how satan would have it. I think a lot of people struggle with this.There will always be someone out there who has more than you. But then again, there will also always be lots of people who have a lot less.
My husband was laid off for 6 months last year and it was quite an eye opener for us. For one, I think that prior to the layoff, we were both in this funk where we felt like we just didn't have enough. We needed more stuff and a better house, better cars etc.
Then when he got laid off and we had to move in with my parents for a while, we realized how blessed we were all along.
It changed me forever. In a good way. Now that he has a great new job, one of the things that I've started doing is giving to our small town's food bank. The very one that fed us many a time when he was laid off.
This was a great post! Thanks.
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