Luke 6:17-38
"You're blessed when you've lost it all, God's Kingdom is there for the finding." (verse 20 from the Message)
The bible warns us of the dangers of money. One of the dangers is that when we have money we tend to be independent from God. We have the resources to make our own plans, and to resolve our problems. We live and act as if we can take care of ourselves. The advantage the poor have is that they have no such illusions. They know they need help. They know they need a savior.
One of the places you can hear the difference is in prayer. When you hear a very poor person pray, their prayer expresses utter dependence upon God. When we who are not poor pray, we ask God to help but more often than not we have a plan in place. We seldom have the desperation of one who has lost it all.
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I saw a difference in prayer in Kenya. We were visiting a Maasai church. I had never seen such devotion and power in prayer. What you said makes sense though, about utter dependence. These people were praying for basic necessities-water, food. I am so blessed that I can turn on a faucet and have clean water whenever I want, so that is not something that I ask God for. I often pray for "extras," such as direction in my degree path and career path, never have I asked God to provide me with the basic necessities. The way the Maasai relied fully on God to provide them with what they needed created a very powerful scene, one that has remained vivid in my memory.
ReplyDeleteI think that many of us in this country do take too much for granted. We are so blessed but often don't realize it. Even though I was raised in the category of "poor" on a farm in north Arkansas, I never remember feeling like we had nothing - even though my parents surely did at many times.
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago, my daughter and a friend both gave me the same book for Christmas - "Simple Abundance." I thought surely God was trying to tell me something - and I think He did - to be grateful! The first thing the book recommended was to write daily in a "gratitude journal" about anything that day for which I am grateful. I've diligently done this for 10 years and it has changed my life. It brings to mind at the end of everyday at least some of the day's blessings - even though I often forget things like clean water and good food!
At the lowest points in my life is when I have cried out the most to God for help. I'm sure that is what happens daily in Kenya - and Haiti -and so many other parts of the world! They have nothing and can only rely on God.