This is a little different than most of my posts, but I really feel like I need to throw this out there. So a couple of weeks ago at church on our missions Sunday, we received a little bag of rice and beans as we were leaving church. Attached to it was a note with- "What if this is all you have to eat today? 1.4 billion people live on less than a $1.25 per day. What could you give up this week to live on less?" It linked to our church's website that listed facts about other countries, as well as tips for living on less.
I definitely felt a bout of conviction and just feeling "beat down" in general. There are so many times that I worry about our finances and complain on what we miss out on & no extras, etc. with Colby having negative income with lots of tuition, my grad school tuition and half-time nurses salary, bills, student loans building up, expensive medical bills and crummy insurance so that we avoid going to the Dr. while others are going for free, we don't have this or that, or wish we could afford such and such, yadda yadda yadda. But do I really know what true hardship is? Could I really eat that tiny amount of rice and beans all day?
The answer is no. I don't know what it means. I can still stop through Sonic to grab a lime Dr. Pepper at happy hour and spend that $1.25 that those people live on in an instant. Am I saying that I need to sell everything we own or should I feel guilty for owning the things I do? No. But I should praise God more for each blessing He does give me and really question what I do "need." Do I need to search harder for things that we really could give up to help others? Yes. And instead of saying "when we are financially stable and both have jobs, or when this changes then we will...."
Really, as I laid my head down on my soft pillow, in my warm bed I just felt led to post this because I need to confess my inmost insecurity of trusting God's provision. And why? Why is it that I still do this after He has shown me time after time that He will provide for us? He daily shows me that He is in control. Yet I become a worry-wart that flips out over littlest thing.
I know several people are in the same situation that we are,
I suppose it's a minute to minute challenge and something that I will need to constantly ask God for help with. So my question for myself and others, "What could you give up this week to live on less?"
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" Matthew 6: 25-27
www.ccbcfamily.org/liveonless
8 comments:
wow sooo convicting. . . :-) that is SUCH a small amount of rice and beans. . . He commands us to give 10 percent. . . but then he also talks about taking care of widows, children, etc. . . so, we just pray about the other parts of giving. . . some things just tug on our hearts. . . anyways, I can't really get the picture of the rice and beans out of my head. . i am so thankful for how blessed we are! Great post friend!
wow, this just rocked my world!
Thanks for sharing this! I think you are right on! The key is having a heart of gratitude and submission to God's will. Much easier said than done... I too struggle with the "When we're at THIS point, then we can _____" When Jesus is saying "Don't send them away, YOU give them something to eat." and then he feeds 5000 with not much more than that rice and beans. What an amazing God we serve!
right there with you. feeling like we sacrifice some, but knowing in my heart we are so blessed and could live on much less. I also agree that we shouldn't sell everything we own and live on nothing. We have been blessed and need to praise God for those blessings. I, like most, get caught up in my little world and forget how much I have, and how little I suffer. I'd like to think Thomas and I are giving people, but i know we can give and do more. Definitely something to pray about specifically. Thankful for His grace and forgiveness when we don't trust Him or don't acknowledge His blessings. Good stuff, thanks for sharing. I desire relationships with people like you, people who dig deeper, who run to Christ and ask what they can do to further His Kingdom, and who acknowledge their shortcomings knowing God will guide then in His truth. (longest comment ever - peace out!)
Loved this post!
For most of us, our lives are like a glass 1/2 full. We are filled with God's blessings and then want the things we don't have (the 1/2 empty part). God tells us to praise him for all he's blessed us with and come to him for all our wants and desires. We always should be in need and on our knees to Him. This makes our relationship with Him that much more intimate!
Amazing post. wow.
wow, i love this post! thanks for sharing this!
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