“America doesn’t need God because they already have everything. That’s why us in the village need Him so much, because we have nothing.” As these words came rolling off the tongue of a woman in the village my heart broke into a thousand pieces. I had been praying this entire race that the Lord would break my heart for what breaks His, and in this moment, I felt it. My heart hurt that this is how people in third world countries viewed America and how utterly wrong this statement was. It is true that in America we have way more then I think any of us even know what to do with. Take me for example, if shopping was a hobby then it would be my favorite hobby. I am not lying, and it pains me to type this, but I would buy new clothes just so I wouldn’t have to do laundry that day. The Lord is REALLY working with me on my materialistic heart and I have come a long way, but still have a long way to go. However, what is so painfully wrong about this statement is how much America really DOES need God. We have everything accessible at our fingertips and if we need something we can just go buy it. I am not condemning anyone who has nice things or a lot of stuff (that is not my heart in this at all, I still daydream about wearing my Michael Kors watch again someday, it’s okay) but it becomes dangerous when we make our “stuff” an idol. It hurts my heart that people can be so content with having “everything” when in reality they do not have anything if they are living apart from Jesus Christ. After talking to this woman and just observing how this community of believers love Jesus with all that they have my perspective on life is now forever changed. This woman and her husband wake up every morning and pray over every single one of their plants. They pray over their land. They pray over their ministry because that is all they have. Their plants they grow is their source of food and income, so without God showing up for them each and every single day they would not be able to make ends meet. In every single church service here, I was so confused why they would just sob endlessly during worship. Like I am talking, every single song, every single second, just sobbing. I have cried before in worship too, but not every single time. Then yesterday it finally hit me that these people have an expectancy on God, a reliance on God, a hope in God that we in America have lost. If God doesn’t bless our veggie garden in the corner of our thousand-acre backyard then we can just go to the store and buy vegetables. I know that is a lame example, but you get what I am trying to say. The people in this village do not have any other option but to have full devotion, full adoration, full honor for our Lord because without Him they would have nothing. However, I do not pity these people. Do I want to do everything in my power to make life easier for them? Absolutely! But my heart does not break for these people (I do not have a heart of coal, I promise), but my heart breaks for those that have everything but really have nothing.
One thing I am learning as I dive deeper in my faith is how completely upside down the kingdom actually is. Take Jesus, for example, He had every right to come in as a king with a crown and robe but He didn’t. He came into this world to be born in a manger, to live a life of servanthood, and His triumphal entry was riding on a lowly donkey. I mean come on, that is not what I would picture the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to come into this world like. Likewise, in James 2:5 it says, “Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” So, although these people are poor in the eyes of the world they are actually some of the richest people I have ever met because they are rich in faith. I think we can learn so much from them. When was the last time you had to rely on God? When was the last time that you had no idea how you were going to make ends meet unless God showed up miraculously in your life? When was the last time you just sat and sobbed in worship because you were so moved at the goodness of our God? I used to always question God, why me? Why would you choose me to grow up in America with a sturdy house, food in my fridge, etc. while there are kids all around the world living in poverty? But the older I get and the more I seek God in this question the more I realize how it is a blessing in disguise. If I were to be born into the lifestyles that some of them have I do not know if I would still choose God or have faith in Him that I do now. He knew it would take me living the way I did, in the house that I did, going through the circumstances that I did in order to win me over. So my heart does not break for those living in poverty because at least they can acknowledge they need God. I admire them, I look up to them, I want to learn from them because they are some of the strongest fighters in God’s army. A fight that if I were to battle I would probably lose. In contrast, my heart breaks for those that have stored up wealth and material possessions for themselves in place of their Heavenly Father because they are truly the ones living in poverty.
(Just a disclaimer, I have nothing against people having nice things and I do not think you should feel guilty about it. However, how are you stewarding the wealth the Lord has blessed you with? I actually pray that the Lord will continue to bless you financially so you have even more that you can be generous with! So, if the Lord has blessed you my hope is that He continues to bless you. When I get back home I am not going to continue to live out of a backpack, I know myself and the reality of which I am going back to. However, I want to encourage you to never put the importance of “stuff” over the importance of God because I can guarantee you that you will always feel empty inside if you do.)
