"Live Simply So Others May Simply Live" (Mother Teresa)

We in America have so so much materially, even those of us who think we don’t. 

These stats from http://www.compassion.com/poverty/poverty.htm say it all:
-The cost of eradicating world poverty is estimated at 1 percent of global income. 
-Almost half the world- over 3 billion people-live on less than $2.50 a day.
-The poorest 40 percent of the world's population accounts for 5 percent of global income.  The richest 20 percent accounts for three quarters of world income. 
-In 1981, 52 percent of the world's population lived in extreme poverty (defined as living on $1.25 or less a day.)  Data from the World Bank released in February 2012 estimates that 22 percent of people live in extreme poverty. 

After attending an eye opening event walking us through the life of two children living in extreme poverty across the world, our family continues to process the things we heard and saw.  “Mom, all that child wanted was to taste a rotten apple- YUCK!”  “Their house was so dirty and all the people shared that tiny plate of food.”  I have reflected often since then on 1 Corinthians 4:2 which says, “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.”  The word steward refers to someone who protects, or someone responsible for money, property, etc.  All we have is the Lord’s and he makes it very clear in His word that we are stewards of His money.  Thus, how are we using the wealth entrusted to us?  Are we using our money to attempt to stay current with the latest fashions- a task that is endless as trends change constantly?  Are we living in a home that allows us to give graciously or is our mortgage taking most of our paycheck?  The American dream screams at us to buy bigger and bigger and fancier and fancier, but this is a lie and will drag one down if allowed to fester.   Did you know that many times an entire family and extended family live in a one room hut in the poorest areas of the world?  Are we using the money to buy a new car often when it is really not needed as opposed to being content with what we have?  Are we using the money to constantly update our home? 

We have clean water at the drop of our fingers; we have access to food that fills our belly, and we have houses that for the most part (except for extreme occasions) prevent water from entering and do not fill with water every time there is a hard rain.   We don’t have sewage running down our streets.  We don’t share one plate of food with an entire family.  We don’t go to bed hungry or hear our children crying themselves to sleep because they are starving- literally. 

This weekend I heard about a little child who wanted nothing more than to taste a rotten apple, but his family could not even dream of affording anything more than rice.  Years ago our church actually challenged the congregation to eat rice and beans every meal for a week the way the poor does, which means no salsa or guacamole or spices to make it taste better.  The money saved in groceries went toward feeding the hungry in the community.  I kid you not- I could not make it one day.  I felt shaky and ill from all those carbs.  

This Christmas season let’s truly reflect on what the Bible says.  The Bible says LOUDLY and CLEARLY to take care of others.  The Bible tells us in I John 3:17-18 “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? Little children, let us not love in WORD or TALK but in DEED and in TRUTH.”

What would it look like if “we live simply so that others may simply live” (Mother Theresa)?  What if we give our children a few gifts instead of many explaining that the sacrifice was going to someone in need?  What would it look like if we use that raise to bless others first before we bless ourselves?  What would it look like to downsize instead of upsize?  What would it look like to give out of little or nothing to help someone out?