"It's the greatest poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish." - Mother Teresa
over 25,000 kids age 5 and under died today due to preventable disease and malnutrition. i just ate a whole box of macaroni. and still have a cupboard full of food, and a drawer of medicine, and a few different doctors around this city each to help with a specific area of my health. oh, and i have a bank account, and a medical account, and a bowl full of chocolate i keep munching on.
across this world, we are the body of Christ- the family of God the Father.
if my friend Patrick in Kenya is hungry tonight, or my sponsor child Vasavi in India is sharing everything she has with her family, or my friend Tom in Haiti is in a spiritual battle for souls, or my friend L in Jordan is speaking the truth of Christ into darkness, or believers in China are longing to hold and read the Word of God, or the church in Rwanda is learning to forgive, or believers in Gaza are hiding for their lives...
then as their sister in Christ, I am connected to their needs right?
i heard a pastor once share (i think it was francis chan) that we are virtually deciding that we are more important than others, everytime we eat more than we need or buy something we want. we are valuing ourselves more than others. isn't that just the opposite of the attitude of Christ?
you know those "one anothers" we talk about from Scripture? don't those apply to my connection with brothers and sisters around the world? whether hungry or hurting or in prison- we are the family of God.
love one another
be devoted to one another in brotherly love
honor one another above yourselves
serve one another
be kind and compassionate to one another
encourage one another
submit to one another
offer hospitality to one another
love one another deeply
1 John 4:12
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
1 Cor 12
...But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
John 13:35
"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
if there is one thing i lose sleep over, it's how to live in light of all of this. i feel like i suck at this, and i just become more aware of it every day. but He is faithful. God is working on me day by day, and i pray that i would hear His voice and obey.
and now this blog is more than just the quote i was going to post. those are my raw thoughts at the moment.
Oh God, that you would give me wisdom and help me to obey whatever you ask of me. I continue to pray for your guidance in stewarding my place and resources on this earth.
Give me neither riches nor poverty Lord, but give me my daily bread that I don't forget you. (paraphrased Prov 30:8-9)
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