They are
born among the privileged class, living lives that most others can only dream
of. Because they are so wealthy, they never give even a momentary thought to
lacking anything they truly need. In fact, they own so much more than they need
that they have trouble finding room to store all their possessions.
Because of that, they often discard what the average person
would love to own. And because they associate only with others who are as
wealthy as them, they are usually unaware of the teeming majority of people who
live at an inconceivably lower standard.
Who are these very fortunate people? They are you, your
family, your friends, and your neighbors.
Most of us have no idea how wealthy we are compared to most
of the world's people. Let me see if I can put this in perspective for you. One
way to measure your wealth is to subtract your debts from the value of
everything you own---your clothing, furniture, appliances, cars, home and so
on. That gives you your net worth.
Here is an amazing fact: If your net worth is $2,200 or
more, you are in the top half of the world's wealthiest people. To be among the
richest 10 percent of adults in the world, all you need is a net worth of
$61,000.
Another way to measure your wealth is by your income. Approximately
75 percent of India’s
people live on less than $2.00 per day. That is $624 per year. Over 50 percent
of the world's people live on less than $2.50 per day. That is less than $913
per year. Around 20 percent of the world's people live on less than $1.25 per
day. That is less than $457 per year. Those whose incomes put them in the
bottom 10 percent of the U.S.
population are still better off than two-thirds of the world's population.
If you would like to know your personal global ranking,
navigate on your computer (an item owned by a minority of people) to www.globalrichlist.com.
Select your currency, type in your annual income, and you will immediately know
where you stand in comparison to the rest of the world. An annual income of
$34,000 puts you in the top 5 percent. An annual income of $47,500 puts you in
the world's top 1 percent.
It might also help us to remember that about nine million
people will die of hunger this year. 24,447 will die of hunger today. Nearly one billion people are presently
undernourished. That is about 1 in 7 of the world's people. 1.4 billion people do not have access to safe
drinking water. That's 1 in 5 of the world's people.
Learning to be content requires real effort, because frightening
forces are at work to make us discontent. Western culture is materialistic---to
the maximum. Everyone is determined to get more "stuff," and we are
continually bombarded with advertisements designed to make us dissatisfied with
what we currently have---in order to persuade us to make a purchase.
The honest truth is that none of us need anything more than
what we currently own. In fact, we could get by on much less if we were so
motivated. As soon as we shift into contentment, a huge weight rolls off of our
shoulders, and the future becomes instantly brighter.
Think about this: If unhappiness stems from unfulfilled
desires, then there are only two roads to happiness, either by (1) fulfilling
or (2) abandoning those unfulfilled desires. G.K. Chesterton said, "There
are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The
other is to desire less."
Scripture only advocates abandoning misguided desires, which
includes seeking happiness in the acquisition of more earthly, material things.
That, in a nutshell, is what Jesus was prescribing when He told His followers
to “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not
destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:20)
He meant for them to abandon one desire for a better, more
worthy desire. Obeying Him in that regard requires being both content and
discontent---content with what one has on earth and discontent with what one
has in heaven. Again, most of us already have more than enough on earth due to
misguided desires. We've been foolish, pursuing temporal, earthly happiness,
rather than eternal, heavenly happiness.
Certainly we need to be content with what we already possess
and carefully consider the necessity of any additional acquisitions. We can lay
up our treasures on earth temporarily, understanding that our ownership ends at
death, or we can lay them up in heaven and enjoy "great gain"
eternally.
Surely the more one possesses, the more he ought to be
contented, when in fact, it is those who are the wealthiest who are often the
least content, as they are driven by the deception that happiness is found in
more stuff.
So we are faced with a choice. We can either be discontented
and use our wealth to acquire more stuff for ourselves, or we can be content,
using our wealth to love more people—particularly those who are lacking the
most basic necessities. Choosing the latter, we demonstrate our love for God,
and enriching our relationship with Him; in doing that, we become truly rich
and forever rich.
-------------------------
Asia International Mission is an
IRS approved 501(c)(3) non-profit ministry.
