material abundance vs spiritual abundance
Matthew 6:19-21 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.
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Ecclesiastes 5:10 Whoever loves money, never has enough.
Proverbs 11:4 Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
So often, we grumble about inconveniences, and never fully realize how blessed we are in this country.
Last year, we had a shock dealing with limited access to some supplies, being fairly sequestered from others—and thank YOU God that there is enough technology in this country to allow us to have ZOOM meetings and connections, people had the ability to work from their homes via computers and means of maintaining contact long distance, we could locate masks and go to the grocery stores and buy most of what was needed. . . . but we had a minor taste of doing without. And we grumbled.
We gave little thought to the people living in countries who always do without, and the murmuring continued and the fears and anxieties in many were rampant. I didn’t have this fear and anxiety, and was more than a little surprised at my friends who refused to want to socialize even outside, staying 6-8 feet apart. My neighborhood is a close knit group. We frequently socialize with one another, have a celebration with a huge crowd, and we look out for each other. It was so different during the initial hype of COVID—and that was bothersome to me. From a nursing point of view, I could get it, but for the general mental and emotional health of all, I thought it detrimental.
Certainly, I used and followed the mask mandates, washed hands frequently, avoided over crowding, but I did think it good and healthy to see people at least outside. And doing ZOOM bible studies, or attending church online I thought repeatedly we are so blessed to live in this country and have access to this kind of technology. So there were things that were difficult to adapt to last year during the months of unease with COVID, but in comparision to what others live with on a daily basis in many of these poor, overcrowded, under-priveleged countries, we have no reason to gripe, complain, or be irritated.
The world dealt with COVID, and our country was able to be vaccinated sooner, and although we lost many thousands of people to the ravages of this virus, most had little reason to truly gripe and complain. We have the means to bathe, to boil water, to feed ourselves (for the most part) and reach out via phones, televisions, ZOOM, computers, and in many other ways. We should be thankful for where we are and all that we have, the many blessings, and remember that our occasional inconveniences are many other peoples daily life, unending.
We have riches, we have dollars and we are not always wise with what we have been blessed with. We do not always share and make available for others. Frequently, we spend just on a whim, to fill a momentary want or desire, and think nothing of it, because we have it, fairly easily. I want to spend more time remembering many others do not have the blessings I enjoy, and pray that I will be less nonchalant with all the He has blessed me with.
Thank You, LORD, for You have abundantly blessed me, and at times I forget and grumble, and don’t spend wisely, and don’t appreciate all luxuries available here that are not available through much of this world. I am so sorry for my selfishness and impatience with occasionally not being able to fill a desire at the time. You are so abundant to me and ‘my bellaviews’.
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