Thought for the Month - October 2016

"True Riches" by Barry Adair

What a privileged position we have in the West. After some research and a little contemplation (as one does at my age!), I was struck with the large gap in our material wealth compared to those in other parts of the world. And I'm writing this from the perspective of a single-earning parent family in an unremarkable job. Factor in a highly paid job or even two highly paid jobs and this gap in wealth grows even larger. Then, of course, there are the mega rich who suddenly make our wealth seem miniscule!

One truism I have seen for myself, mind you, is that wealth and happiness are often poles apart. Perhaps it is all down to the process in gaining this wealth that brings along the unhappiness? The tabloids are full of stories of the rich and famous and many of their lives just couldn't be happy with the amount of angst, hatred, jealousy, scheming and paranoia on show to the world. It's as if they are living their lives according to the "if you are going to be unhappy, then you might as well be rich and unhappy" model!

I had the privilege, quite a few years ago, of visiting Mozambique in southern Africa. This was a country which had been ravaged by 15 years of civil war (ending in 1992) and by a number of natural disasters (e.g. awful floods in 2000). I was there in 2002 and stayed with Francisco and his young family in a small village called Dondo, near Beira. In the photo above, the big kid (if I can call him that) is Francisco! Lack of food as he was growing up stunted his growth. I say "stayed with" but as the tin hut (in above photo) they called home couldn't accommodate us, we slept in their field in a tent. They didn't even have running water and the toilet was a few pieces of tin sheeting over a very large hole. Let's just say that it was good that it was at the bottom of the field, many feet away from their hut! Materially speaking the family had nothing but they always had broad smiles on their faces. They had each other and deeply loved the young children they had been blessed with. But it wasn't just that. They each had that inner contentment that only a personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can give. I thought about that visit and of that young family again as I pondered the subject of "true riches" this month.

Incidentally, I was somewhat perturbed with the European definition of poverty, and child poverty in particular. Europe and many other developed countries use a "relative poverty threshold", where European children living in a household with 40 to 50 percent of that countries' average income are said to be in 'poverty'!

Now compare the above definition of child poverty with these statistics of global child poverty…

Of the estimated 2.2 billion children worldwide, about a billion, or every second child, live in poverty.

Of the 1.9 billion children in developing nations, 640 million are without adequate shelter; 400 million are without access to safe water;

270 million have no access to health services.

In 2003, 10.6 million children died before reaching the age of five, which is equivalent to the total child population of France, Germany, Greece, and Italy.

1.4 million children die each year from lack of access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation while 2.2 million die each year due to lack of immunizations.

The Bible has a lot of things to say about riches, money and inequality…

And He (Jesus) said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15)

Jesus taught about a kind of wealth that anyone can obtain if they really want it. And once you have it, you can keep it forever.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)

And what should we do if we see someone in need and are able to help?

But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? (1 John 3:17)

"True riches" is not to be found in material wealth but in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might be rich (2 Cor.8:9)

In the Lord's grand scheme of things, material wealth means nothing. And anyway, if you think logically about it, as God created everything, it all belongs to Him anyway! But it's obvious to me that few in the world truly understand this. However, I hope and pray that all those who read this Thought can give a hearty "Amen" to the words of Andy Stanley below…

My hope is not in riches but in Him who richly provides.

Until next month (DV)…

Are you SURE that you have your place booked in Heaven? Read this if you're not!