Think About It

Above Chart: The World's Distribution of Money
From the Global Rich List website, based on data collected by the World Bank Development Research Institute.

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Please take one minute and check out the Global Rich List.

And then really think about what it's telling you.

We've just had Thanksgiving, and we're all feeling warm and fuzzy with thankfulness. Though I know we each have our troubles, each of us has so much for which we can be grateful.

But how often do we remember, "To whom much is given, much is expected."

And I mean really remember... to the point that it motivates us to sacrifice time, money, skills, etc. And I do mean sacrifice. Not just give a little here and there to assuage our guilt.

I'm not preaching at you. I'm preaching at myself, too. Time for true confessions. I have been really struggling with feelings of financial insecurity. Jacob and I haven't worked for a paycheck for over a year now. We had a decent nest egg built up for individuals our age, but we haven't contributed to it in over a year. With the financial markets and our own needs during this year, it's actually declined. That's scary. So far we've not actively asked people for help financially. Though we prefer that method in many ways, it does mean that we're not "fully supported" some months. It has been amazing to watch God meet our needs, but every single day I still struggle with trusting that our needs will continue to be met. And I do mean Every. Single. Day. I would like nothing more than to be financially independent again.

Anyway, I tell you all this to say that nothing can stop one's generous giving stone cold like no income. But this morning, I typed in the average monthly amount we receive from people (I guess for now that's our income, though I don't like thinking about it that way) and realized we're still in the top 15 percent. Now, that's quite a fall from the top 1 percent we used to be in, and hence my insecurity, but I still have more financial resources than 85 percent of the people in the world.

I'm feeling very convicted about this. What am I going to do about this? Wallow in my own feelings of insecurity and financial vulnerability? Or trust God when He says He'll provide and sacrificially give in spite of my worries? Think about what the world could look like if we really took this leap of faith in spite of all our places of vulnerability, fear, and insecurity. Would people still die from lack of mosquito nets? Would children still die from water-borne illnesses since they don't have clean water? Does it have to end like this?

Someone said something the other day that really hit me, and I hope it sticks with you too...

What are we waiting for? In what lifetime are we going to make a difference?