Need as We Succeed

After a mission trip to Mexico, I was awed by the faith of the people there. They live in run-down shanties on mud streets. Some of their dwellings don't even have windows, yet they don't seem to notice what they're missing. I was told that their faith is so strong BECAUSE they have nothing else. They have God and that's all they seem to need. The worship services I attended were like nothing I'd ever seen. It was heavenly. Their adoration of God was so apparent in the way they sang and worshipped. It was beautiful. It was also a stark contrast to the way most Americans worship. Is it because we have so much more and therefore don't need God as much?

Our Heavenly Father is the Blessed Controller of all things. We have the ability to do the job we do that provides the income for the beautiful house, nice car, and family vacations because God gave us those abilities. We live where we live in the time we live because God put us there. We wake up breathing every morning because God gifted us with one more day. We can look forward to eternity in heaven instead of eternal death because God put all of our sin on His only son, Jesus Christ, and allowed Him to take the penalty instead of us. How pompous of us to think we don't need Him as much as anyone else and how prideful to not be as grateful as those who have less. We should be even more grateful for how incredibly blessed we are. Most of us live in nice houses with windows and everything. We drive decent cars, at least. We have access to some of the best resources in the world. Here's a scary statistic for you; 8% of the population uses over 60% of the world's resources. Guess who that 8% is? That's right, America! We are not an impoverished nation. This nation is what it is because God has allowed it to be. I am sitting in my comfortable home, surrounded by comfort and convenience because God has blessed me and my family with both natural and super-natural blessings, for His own reasons and purposes. I am thankful, and whether I have a good roof over my head or not, I need God. When I was a young mother raising small children on meager means in not as comfortable a home as I live in now, I needed God's help and guidance. Now that I'm an older mother raising teenagers and grandchildren on more generous means in a more comfortable home, I still need God's help and guidance to deal with everyday things as well as more major life decisions and changes.

No matter where we go in this life, how far up the corporate ladder or how high we go in social stature, our need for God should not change. In fact, the more we succeed, the more vulnerable we are to the temptations of this world, and the more we need God to keep us balanced and focused on the right things. I think our need for God should increase as we succeed, not the other way around. I desire to be like those precious souls in Mexico regardless of the circumstances of my life. Circumstances change, sometimes quickly and unexpectedly, but God never does. I'm putting my trust in the unchangeable and making God the One I need most as I succeed according to His plans and purposes for my life. Amen!