As each of you know, I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel to many foreign countries. Over the years, as I visited some of the developing nations I often wondered why God put each person where He did. Even the Western European countries with their affluence, in many ways did not offer what we have here in the good old U.S. of A. I seemed to count my blessings more as I slept in a house where I could see the stars through the roof or had to wear my clothes to bed because there was no heat. I was grateful for the meals that many Americans might not even give their pets. There just seemed to be something in the air that reminded me that these were God’s children and I enjoyed rejoicing in their abundance of love, giving, and selfless efforts for the cause of Christ.

In the last 20+ years I have always felt a sense of gratitude for all that I had been given, but it would not take long after returning home before the stress crept back in. There were always the bills or tuition for one or more of you, and the uncertainty of our economy. However, I cannot lie and say I never wondered about why I didn’t have more. I have laid these thoughts before God many times and wondered if it was ego, greed, or just wanting to be comfortable. I know what it says in Ecclesiastes 5:10: Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. I take those verses seriously, yet when you would come to me and ask why you couldn’t take a certain trip or have something special, I always felt I disappointed you and the musings came back again.

I think the reality is that it’s hard to be honest with ourselves when we consider our position or level of comfort or what we think we have a right to in life. Our minds are keenly adept at rationalizing and justifying why things are okay for us but not for someone else. It is my opinion that we constantly overvalue our worth and significance and therefore God is forced to keep us at a level of survival rather than plenty. It has nothing to do with His love for us, but more His understanding of our innate nature and how we operate in times of plenty versus how we operate in times of need. I am guessing there are not as many prayers of thanksgiving during the times of plenty than there are prayers of request and/or submission during times of want.

I am not sure what it took, other than prayer and fasting, to get Paul to this position:  I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. Philippians 4:11b–12. Though living in our society produces its own challenges, at least we worry less about our sustenance than others. I would say this to you: God knows our hearts better than we do. He knows how we operate best and what will maximize our Kingdom potential. Ask Him to search your motives and tell you why. I have no doubt there will be an answer. Just make sure you are willing to hear the truth as it may not be exactly what you thought.

Love, Dad