Great Gifts Mean Great Responsibility

67% of adult Americans are obese. We live in houses that would be considered mansions in many parts of the world. We fill our homes with TVs, computers, Ipods, clothing, food and shoes and complain when we don't have the latest gadget. And then we complain when money goes to people in other countries who are starving to death, whose modest homes have been destroyed by an earthquake. People whose daily struggle to survive just got a million times harder. What am I missing here?

I find it so frustrating when I see people complaining about all the aid that is being sent to Haiti right now. On Facebook, for example, I am horrified by the number of people I see making comments that we should "take care of our own" first. Okay, I get that there are a lot of people in America who are hurting and need help. Really, I get it. But I guess people seem to be missing out on the fact that even the poorest Americans have more than those in much of the rest of the world.

I guess they don't realize, for example, that most Haitians live on about $2 a day with about 80% of the population living in poverty. They don't know that education is not free and a privilege there and that only 67% of the children are even enrolled in primary school with less than 30% making it to the 6th grade. They don't realize that even if a child can go to school often they are so malnourished they are too weak to attend or too hungry to concentrate. They don't realize how many children live on the street without parents to care for them. And they don't realize that with the recent earthquake that number just grew exponentially. Because I'm sure if they knew that they wouldn't hold onto that take care of our own attitude.

The fact of the matter is that we are a part of a big world. God didn't create just the United States. We are part of something much bigger. We are an incredibly blessed country and I don't believe we were given these blessings to be greedy and hoard them for ourselves.

Luke 12:48
For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

I like the translation of this verse found in The Message:
Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!

Even during our countries difficult financial times(which we brought on ourselves I might add) our abundance is overflowing. So yes we should take care of our own which includes not just those living in the United States but in the whole world. We are all God's creation. We are all one people. He loves us all! And here in the United States, He has given greater gifts and greater responsiblity. Let us be obedient to Him and share His love and light with the world entire!