It all started on Monday when a co-worker, Tollie Taylor, talked about the following Bible verse, and the post is a collection of the ensuing thoughts that came into my mind in the days that followed. I hope you enjoy!
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
catch the new Cadillac commercial. I made it easy for you: http://youtu.be/qGJSI48gkFc)
Oh, silly me. My crazy 1st world way of thinking, spurred by my surroundings, TV advertisements, reality TV shows, and MTV Cribs, blinded me for a moment.
Truth is, we all wear those same blinders every now and again. It's almost unavoidable. It's like being on a diet and going to a good Mexican food restaurant... at some point you'll be tempted to grab some chips and order a chimichanga (and, if you're like me, a sugar-packed margarita). Unfortunately, some of us never shed those blinders, and we spend our entire lives believing that life is all about "working hard and making our own luck".
Just look at some of the recent local and national news over the past few days: Whether it's the front page news of the KISD Superintendent getting a raise to his annual salary that equals close to the same as what the average American makes in a full year, or the national story about how Major League Baseball superstar Ryan Howard's lavish 17,000-square-foot, multi-million-dollar mansion compete with a pool, lazy river, and bowling alley is nearing completion, and it's easy to see why it's difficult to shed the blinders.
Just look at some of the recent local and national news over the past few days: Whether it's the front page news of the KISD Superintendent getting a raise to his annual salary that equals close to the same as what the average American makes in a full year, or the national story about how Major League Baseball superstar Ryan Howard's lavish 17,000-square-foot, multi-million-dollar mansion compete with a pool, lazy river, and bowling alley is nearing completion, and it's easy to see why it's difficult to shed the blinders.
I'm in no way saying that the KISD Superintendent doesn't deserve the raise or that Ryan Howard doesn't need or deserve a 17,000-square-foot mansion, or even that they're the cause for the blinders.
What I'm saying is that we are surrounded by news stories, advertisements, and T.V. shows that, intentionally or not, make us wish we had something that someone else has. In other words, we feel like the other person is richer than we are.
But that's where we have it all wrong... let's look at what it means to be rich:
We are all cognizant that there are 2 different ways we can be rich and poor. It's possible to be rich AND poor. It's also possible to be poor and rich, or rich and rich, or poor and poor. But there's a 3rd, less thought of way as well... Let's take a look at each:
The first "rich or poor" is a worldly view, defined by how many possessions or material wealth you either have or lack. It's the one that the wealthy will say you get by "working hard and creating our own luck". The poor each have individual circumstances as to why they lack these material possessions. Most of them have the working hard part down, but maybe haven't quite figured out how to make their own luck. This first "rich or poor" is a status symbol, but it's also relative... 99% of Africans would say 99% of Americans are rich in this sense (and I would tend to agree). It's not a sin to be rich in this definition, so long as we don't put our faith, hope, and security in our money rather than God. Instead, we should use the riches to glorify God by tithing and helping those less fortunate than we are.
The 2nd "rich or poor" is a spiritual one, defined by the treasures found in your heart (Matthew 6:21). Being rich in spirit means that you accept Christ into your heart and put your faith and trust in Him. If you are rich in spirit your heart will overflow and His light will shine through you for others to fill their hearts with. If you're poor in spirit, it could be because your heart is full of pride and self-righteousness, and there is no room for the Holy Spirit. Keep in mind that the verse above from 2 Corinthians says "...we might become rich...", which means we have a choice. The second "rich or poor" is our faith and our relationship with Jesus Christ.
The final "rich or poor" is the least thought of, but quite possibly the most important. This one is also a spiritual one (stick with me), but is defined by how humble we are in our spirit. Jesus said "Blessed are those that are poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3).
Wait, so how does Jesus expect us to be rich in spirit AND poor in spirit? I'm glad you asked, because I just learned myself and will be happy to answer to the best my limited knowledge will allow.
It's like this: In order to fully accept Jesus as our savior, we must be spiritually emptied of self-confidence, self-importance, and self-righteousness. We must be humble in our spirits. Before we can accept the forgiveness that Jesus gave to us, we must realize that we are sinners and that we NEED God's forgiveness. In other words, without needing forgiveness, we cannot accept forgiveness. Without realizing we need forgiveness, we cannot accept that Jesus Christ died on the cross to forgive us. Make sense?
We must be poor in spirit before we can be rich in spirit, but we must also continually empty the self-righteousness, self-confidence, and self-importance. We must continually repent of our sins. We must continually turn to Jesus in humility and faith.
So this Lenten and Easter season let us all remember the sacrifices Jesus made for us. Jesus, for our sake became poor, so that we through his poverty might become rich. Jesus carried the cross and the burden of all our sins on his back. Jesus was crucified for our salvation. Jesus triumphed over death and was resurrected. Because of Jesus, we should all be rich & poor... regardless of our material wealth.
We are all cognizant that there are 2 different ways we can be rich and poor. It's possible to be rich AND poor. It's also possible to be poor and rich, or rich and rich, or poor and poor. But there's a 3rd, less thought of way as well... Let's take a look at each:
The first "rich or poor" is a worldly view, defined by how many possessions or material wealth you either have or lack. It's the one that the wealthy will say you get by "working hard and creating our own luck". The poor each have individual circumstances as to why they lack these material possessions. Most of them have the working hard part down, but maybe haven't quite figured out how to make their own luck. This first "rich or poor" is a status symbol, but it's also relative... 99% of Africans would say 99% of Americans are rich in this sense (and I would tend to agree). It's not a sin to be rich in this definition, so long as we don't put our faith, hope, and security in our money rather than God. Instead, we should use the riches to glorify God by tithing and helping those less fortunate than we are.The 2nd "rich or poor" is a spiritual one, defined by the treasures found in your heart (Matthew 6:21). Being rich in spirit means that you accept Christ into your heart and put your faith and trust in Him. If you are rich in spirit your heart will overflow and His light will shine through you for others to fill their hearts with. If you're poor in spirit, it could be because your heart is full of pride and self-righteousness, and there is no room for the Holy Spirit. Keep in mind that the verse above from 2 Corinthians says "...we might become rich...", which means we have a choice. The second "rich or poor" is our faith and our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Wait, so how does Jesus expect us to be rich in spirit AND poor in spirit? I'm glad you asked, because I just learned myself and will be happy to answer to the best my limited knowledge will allow.
It's like this: In order to fully accept Jesus as our savior, we must be spiritually emptied of self-confidence, self-importance, and self-righteousness. We must be humble in our spirits. Before we can accept the forgiveness that Jesus gave to us, we must realize that we are sinners and that we NEED God's forgiveness. In other words, without needing forgiveness, we cannot accept forgiveness. Without realizing we need forgiveness, we cannot accept that Jesus Christ died on the cross to forgive us. Make sense?
We must be poor in spirit before we can be rich in spirit, but we must also continually empty the self-righteousness, self-confidence, and self-importance. We must continually repent of our sins. We must continually turn to Jesus in humility and faith.
So this Lenten and Easter season let us all remember the sacrifices Jesus made for us. Jesus, for our sake became poor, so that we through his poverty might become rich. Jesus carried the cross and the burden of all our sins on his back. Jesus was crucified for our salvation. Jesus triumphed over death and was resurrected. Because of Jesus, we should all be rich & poor... regardless of our material wealth.
