Do you ever "stop by" a blog and then see a link off to the side that seems worth investigating and next thing you know you are at someone else's blog that you don't know from Sam but you read something so cool that it sticks with you?:) Er...well...maybe that is just me, but that is what happened last night. My rabbit trail only lasted for a few minutes but what I read had great impact later that night as I was reading the Word of God.
Let me start with what I read from the Bible...1 Timothy 6:17-19:
"As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life."
What a beautiful passage, huh? Problem is, I almost skimmed over it without thinking much about it. Why? Because verse 17 started with the words, "As for the rich..." and, as far I am concerned, I am not rich. So, while I could glean truth from those 2 verses (and it is FULL of precious truth) I almost lost the DIRECT command that it was to ME, because the word "rich" and "Pichura Family" has never been in the same sentence in my mind...at least it wasn't until earlier that evening when I was on my rabbit trail and read this:
If one hundred people represented the world's population, fifty-three of those would live on less than $2 a day.
If you earn more thna $4000 per month, you earn ONE HUNDRED TIMES MORE than the average person on this planet.
Which is more messed up--that we have so much compared to everyone else, or that we don't think we are rich? That on any given day we might flippantly call ourselves "broke" or "poor"? We are neither of these things. We are rich, filthy rich.
Those words were penned by Francis Chan in his book "Crazy Love". (I have added that book to my list of books I want to read, not just because of that quote, but because I have heard some great stuff about the book and read a book review by Tim Challies which is always an added bonus when he endorses a book!) Boy, did it quickly change my perspective and my view of what being rich by the world's standards really looks like (you would think just being in Ethiopia and seeing all of the poverty would have made me well aware of that already!).
And, just like that, those verses came alive to me...they convicted me, encouraged me and prompted me to self evaluation...and I was reminded, again, that EVERYTHING (and I clearly have A LOT more than most) belongs to the Lord and I am to live, not just knowing that, but opening my hands, my home, my everything to be ready to give, share and sacrifice at all times! And, in so doing, I grab hold a little tighter to "that which is truly life".
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