Blessings?

People with financial means often have the opportunity to travel, and see some amazing locations in this big world. For people that walk the street every day, traveling is more often restricted to a limited geographical area. The concept of vacation is an unreachable dream. When you are in deep financial need, walking the streets is not about leisurely exercise. Walking the streets and “traveling” is about daily survival.

I grew up in the church, and over the years I heard countless prayers from the pulpit and around various dinner tables in our community. Many of those prayers included words of thanksgiving, and oftentimes there was mention of health, shelter, and the bounty of the table.

As I have met more people in this world and studied different cultures, I have become increasingly restless with the concept of blessings. In the Bible, God does talk about taking care of his people, and about meeting their needs. However, as far as I can tell, God does not love us with a checklist. While this country provides us with a lot of opportunities, it is hard to make an argument that we are the most righteous, and therefore worthy of the greatest material blessings.

There are too many people of great faith in this world that live in material poverty for me to believe that God has rewarded me with material gain because I am more loved than my neighbor. I could be wrong, but I feel like I have worked reasonably hard in my life. That said, plenty of people work harder than I do and have not achieved the same financial rewards.

Maybe we have lulled ourselves into a false sense of what blessings are all about. Does God want us to enjoy the beauty and grandeur of his creation? I believe so. Should material growth and comfort be our long-term goal in this life? That is a hard Biblical argument to make.

I have talked before about the Parable of the Talents, and that always comes to mind when I think about the concept of blessings. Perhaps material wealth is not a blessing, but is instead a challenge from God. The oft-used phrase suggests that money cannot buy happiness, but it sure comes in handy sometimes. When you are hungry and homeless, you’ll take a little bit of that temporary happiness.

My challenge to you today is to examine your motives, and your long-term priorities. If you have financial means, congratulations on your earthly success. At the same time, I will remind you of a popular play called, “You Can’t Take It With You.”

Do you see financial gain and material comfort as a blessing? Do you believe that God has given you what you have because you are more worthy than others? I’m not going to tell you to liquidate your assets and give them all away (unless God calls you to). I will suggest that you take a long look at your goals, and ask God whether he has something for you to do with your opportunities.

Lord, thank you for your blessings, in whatever form they come.