\u201cHow can anyone get into heaven? \u00a0It must be impossible!\u201d \u00a0That\u2019s what Jesus\u2019 disciples said to him after he had told a very rich young man that he had to give everything away in order to inherit eternal life.<\/p>\n
Most of us aren\u2019t asked to give everything away, but there certainly is invitation to give generously of the money and belongings entrusted to us by God.<\/p>\n
But lots of people either giving nothing away at all or give scantily, as measured by percentage of wealth, not dollar amounts.<\/p>\n
Why? \u00a0Perhaps there is a lack of charitable giving because many think they are not rich enough to give something away. \u00a0The fear: if they give to others, they will have less themselves, making themselves even poorer.<\/p>\n
So, I started to ask myself, \u201cWhat defines rich? \u00a0What defines poor?\u201d<\/p>\n
I am rich when I know that when one of us suffers, we all suffer. I am even richer when I know that when one of us prospers, we all prosper. \u00a0I am poor when I think I can live unconnected and untouched by the lives of others.<\/p>\n
I am rich when I can turn on a tap and have clean drinking water come flowing out. I am even richer when I can decide if I want that water to be hot or cold. \u00a0I am poor when I have hot, cold and clean running water, but won\u2019t contribute to help someone across the world experience the same thing.<\/p>\n
I am rich when I have more than one set of clothes in my closet. \u00a0I am even richer when part of my daily routine consists of deciding which of those items to put on for the day. \u00a0I am poor when I have so many clothes in my closet that I decide to build or buy more closet or storage space rather than give some of them away.<\/p>\n
I am rich when I can enjoy meals prepared by others and beverages other than that clean water from the tap. \u00a0I am even richer when I can indulge in such things for myself and my family regularly. \u00a0I am poor when I won\u2019t give up even 10% of those indulgences in order to put some money in a charity donation box or ensure that some child has a chance to hear about the grace and love of God for them.<\/p>\n
I am rich when I have decent shelter that provides protection from the elements. \u00a0I am even richer when that shelter has climate control that keeps the temperature exactly where I want it, even as the seasons and weather change. \u00a0I am poor when I can\u2019t take a portion of my abundance and send it to victims of natural disasters so they might at least have a piece of canvas or plastic over their heads.<\/p>\n
I am rich when I have a phone that I can take me with I anywhere I go and stay in touch with anyone I want whenever I want. \u00a0I am even richer when I can use that phone to chat face to face with others, watch movies and keep my social media contacts updated. I am poor when I spend so much on my phone and other electronics and what I believe are necessities of modern life that I am in such debt that I don\u2019t even know how good I have it.<\/p>\n
I am rich when I know that the material things I enjoy are temporary and fleeting. \u00a0I am even richer when I contemplate eternity in total union with God, whose very nature sings of extravagant generosity. \u00a0I am poor when my material and financial possessions own and imprison me with their constant neediness for attention and replacement. I am destitute when these material things take the place of God.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cHow can anyone get into heaven? \u00a0It must be impossible!\u201d \u00a0That\u2019s what Jesus\u2019 disciples said to him after he had told a very rich young man that he had to give everything away in order to inherit eternal life. Most of us aren\u2019t asked to give everything away, but there certainly is invitation to give […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2704,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,88,104],"tags":[1154,1368],"class_list":["post-1691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-charity","category-generosity","category-heaven","tag-inherit-eternal-life-charitable-giving","tag-material-things"],"yoast_head":"\n