Reflections of the Monetarily Wealthy
As I sit here in my dorm room at a private Christian university, I am reminded of the fact that I am incredibly wealthy. Yes, me. A basically broke college student.
In comparison with the majority of the world's population, I - an almost broke college student - am extremely wealthy.The amount of money my parents and I, as well as the government and whatever scholarship funds I may receive, pay to cover my college expenses each year would be enough to support a person or family living on $1 per day for approximately 82 years. Yep. It blows my mind too.
It is a humbling thing to realize that of all the places God would choose to put me, he chose this one. He chose for me to grow up as a pastor's daughter in the United States, where women are respected, at least for the most part. He chose for me to attend college (something a lot of women around the world do not have the opportunity to do) in preparation for the calling He has placed on my life to minister to children and youth who are at risk. Who am I that God would choose to place me here? At the same time, my heart goes out to the majority of the world who do not have the opportunities afforded those of us in developed countries. Sometimes I question why I am here and they are not, but I must trust that God, in His sovereign wisdom, has a plan for each of us, regardless of position or status.
Which brings me to my internship in India this summer. I will be serving people who have, in comparison with me, absolutely nothing. In addition, in some places, children in India are treated as if they have no real intrinsic value. The challenge with serving the poor is that those of us who are monetarily wealthy can have a tendency to judge those who aren't. The thing is, every single person, regardless of his or her so-called monetary worth or social status, is loved by God. He came and died for each one of us, regardless of what our income is, where we were born, who our family members are, what we have done, or anything else. In His eyes, we are all His beloved children.
So, my challenge is to continue learning how to see the people around me as God does, not on the basis of wealth or social status, but simply as beloved children of God.
"Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all." - Colossians 3:11 (ESV)
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
In comparison with the majority of the world's population, I - an almost broke college student - am extremely wealthy.The amount of money my parents and I, as well as the government and whatever scholarship funds I may receive, pay to cover my college expenses each year would be enough to support a person or family living on $1 per day for approximately 82 years. Yep. It blows my mind too.
It is a humbling thing to realize that of all the places God would choose to put me, he chose this one. He chose for me to grow up as a pastor's daughter in the United States, where women are respected, at least for the most part. He chose for me to attend college (something a lot of women around the world do not have the opportunity to do) in preparation for the calling He has placed on my life to minister to children and youth who are at risk. Who am I that God would choose to place me here? At the same time, my heart goes out to the majority of the world who do not have the opportunities afforded those of us in developed countries. Sometimes I question why I am here and they are not, but I must trust that God, in His sovereign wisdom, has a plan for each of us, regardless of position or status.
Which brings me to my internship in India this summer. I will be serving people who have, in comparison with me, absolutely nothing. In addition, in some places, children in India are treated as if they have no real intrinsic value. The challenge with serving the poor is that those of us who are monetarily wealthy can have a tendency to judge those who aren't. The thing is, every single person, regardless of his or her so-called monetary worth or social status, is loved by God. He came and died for each one of us, regardless of what our income is, where we were born, who our family members are, what we have done, or anything else. In His eyes, we are all His beloved children.
So, my challenge is to continue learning how to see the people around me as God does, not on the basis of wealth or social status, but simply as beloved children of God.
"Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all." - Colossians 3:11 (ESV)
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
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