Sunday, April 29, 2012

Rich

I am laughing at myself because I started typing a Facebook status, and it was getting rather long -- like, 3 paragraphs long. And I thought, "Hmmm... maybe I should just put this in a blog." So that's what I did. I started a blog. Like the greats before me (ahemcoughDeirdre), I am putting a piece of myself out there for all to read. The topic of "wealth" is on my mind at the moment, but in general, I plan for my blog to be as incohesive and erratic as me, covering everything from recipes, to DIY projects, onto mothering, wifing, worshipping, and so on.

Here's what I'm thinking about today: Wealth. What is wealth? If we were to survey every person in the world, the responses would be as diverse as those questioned. What got me asking myself this question tonight, was scrolling through my news feed on Facebook. I just found it funny when one of my friends was complaining about a certain political candidate's wealth, and how no one should be THAT rich -- and she posted this rant via her iPhone. Her iPhone. Now, let me make it very clear, that I am most definitely not this candidate's biggest fan. There are a slew of reasons I don't care for his leadership, but the fact that he is wealthy or even filthy rich is not one of those reasons.

"Wealthy" is such a relative term. If you have a wardrobe, a ride, cable, a smart phone, internet, are literate, have a home, and food on the table... YOU are wealthy and you are living someone else's wildest dream. Why do we gaze enviously at someone else's wealth or feel that they should not be allowed to have what they have? Others might be looking at us the same way. In the US we make up 6% of the world's population but have over half the wealth of the world, and yet we still don't feel rich. We look at someone like Mitt Romney and set the bar there. We say, "THAT is what rich looks like." Yet if you were to ask Romney, he wouldn't say he's arrived. In fact, I guarantee he's still looking for where to best invest his money tomorrow to "secure" his future.

I guess wealthy is a mindset. If you were to ask, say, Mother Theresa, for example, she would have told you that she was wealthy, even though she lived a life of poverty. Some days, or maybe even most days, I feel pretty wealthy too. I look at Josh and William and really do think to myself, "I have it all". Other times though, my glass looks half-empty. And if I'm not careful, I can overlook the fact that my son is walking, and instead, complain about the fact that he has to wear braces on his legs. In the same way we can choose to focus on the good when it comes to circumstances, we can either spend our days wishing for things we don't have, or thanking God for what we do. As for myself, I've decided that I am rich.

Trust me, there's more that I'd like to have. I love the experience of sitting down at a restaurant and having someone else bring me my made-to-order food, and then cleaning up after me. I always think, if we were "wealthy", I would just eat out for every meal. And I want more clothes, my own UV light and collection of gel nail polish, a ginormous mirror above my fireplace, a Dyson vacuum, new pots and pans, new bedding set, shoes, shoes, and more shoes, a bigger garden, a bigger yard for my garden, and shoes. Oh -- and shoes. If I don't stop myself, I might let the days waste away wanting more, when all the while I was already surrounded by wealth that I ignored because I was distracted by the glittering of things I hoped for.

I guess this principal doesn't apply just to wealth. There's lots of dreams that can keep us from being content. Maybe you feel unsettled and discontent because you want to make a name for yourself, and until you are well known or famous, you won't really be happy (used to be me). Maybe you feel like you won't be happy until you are married, so you are cruising through life just waiting to find that special someone, and everything else that happens in your day to day are just mundane details. Maybe you're on the brink of retirement, and you've set your life to auto-pilot until that day arrives when you can truly enjoy life. I don't know, that's just a few examples. But what is it for you that's keeping you from being content? What's that carrot stick you're chasing that's promising "future happiness" and keeping you from enjoying life today?

God wants us to learn the art of CONTENTMENT. 1 Timothy 6:6-7 But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. That is a great verse. And I think this one does an even better job getting my point across... Hebrews 13:5 Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you," <-- In other words, we already have it all. Jesus, who is rich in love and mercy, will never leave us or forsake us. So we should be content with what we have. Easier said than done, I know... but it's worth shooting for, I think.

Now how do I put some sort of fancy font on here and spell check? Only after I've achieved those two things will I truly be happy :)

3 comments:

  1. great words Cynthia ...
    Mondays are so hard, but now I feel inspired. thank you!
    I'm not much a facebooker, but I love reading your stories, and especially on sweet little William! I keep telling his (and your's and Josh's) story to everybody around me.

    reading this in Portugal!
    Raquel

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  2. Loved this post! Exactly what's been brewing in my heart lately too. Oh how the Spirit has us all in the same flow... it's beautiful really.

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  3. Right on. Good word. We do have much to be thankful for. We went to a training session last weekend and the speaker said to fill in the blank: "I could do so much more, be so much more effective, if only I had more __________." Whatever your answer is, that is your idol. We have to remember, Jesus is always the answer, He is our total source, seek the Kingdom of God first and everything else will be taken care of. He is sufficient to supply all our needs.

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