I hate hearing people I know complain about their lives.
I know very few people who have a legitimate reason to complain. The saddest part is that I do it myself. I am sick of it.
We live in the richest, safest, most powerful nation in the world. We eat until we are obese and get a good education. We worry about the economy and complain about gas prices when most of the world would consider themselves lucky to even have a car (much less a meal). We are always in a hurry because our true desire is getting through the day. Convenience is our number one priority and comfort is our ultimate goal. We are bored because we have become desensitized to this world and all our blessings. If it doesn't make things more convenient, more comfortable or entertain us we would rather have nothing to do with it.
I sat down today and wondered why god would allow a bunch of ungrateful selfish people to have so much. It seemed unjust to me when there are children all over the world dying of starvation.
I don't claim to understand God or how He works in the world, but I am starting to think that we aren't the most blessed nation in the world like we originally thought.
Is it possible that what the world considers blessing could actually be a curse?
Jesus makes it clear that it is hard for a rich man to be worthy of the kingdom of God. I think I might finally know why.
It is not that we are not loved by God, but He doesn't need people who are completely consumed with the empty things of this world. His work is not for people who's highest aim is personal comfort and convenience. We cannot experience the life that he offers without getting past our need to be constantly entertained (trust me theres much more to life than that).
You can not follow Jesus half-heartedly like I constantly try to do. Stop chasing the empty things of this world and stop looking to the world to know how to live. We are called to something far better.
I thought that Jesus was being unfair to us when he said things like that but now I know this:
Jesus was trying to save us from ourselves.
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us

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