After checking out the global rich list I was surprised to find that my combined income with my wife puts us in the top 2% of the richest people in the world! This is very surprising to us since we feel as though we are basically scraping by most of the time. I thought by just putting in my income alone I might assuage my guilt, but even without her income I am still in the top 5% of the richest people in the world. Then I thought to myself, "Wait a second, I wasn't always this 'rich,' just a few years ago I made very little as a college student, because I could only work during the summers." I put in my average summer's income, only to find that even when I was at my poorest as a working person I was still in the top 15% of the richest people in the world!
Personal:
The 42-day journal* asks whether you think the wealthy people in the world have enough to eliminate poverty. How much do you think God expects the top 15% wealthiest people** in the world to give to the poorest people in the world? What does God expect you to give? Have you asked Him? If you haven't asked God what He wants you to give, share a prayer in the comments asking Him here and now.
*If you don't have one follow the "Fill the Hole" link titled "six week quest"
**Just in case you're wondering, if you're making more than $2200.00 a year then you are among the top 15% wealthiest people in the world
Action:
1. How wealthy did you think you were before you checked the rich list? How far-off was your guess? How do you think a person's wealth should affect their willingness and desire to give or be generous with what they have? How were you affected by the rich list?
2. Share this link with someone who isn't doing this study, and ask them how it affects them.
Posts
I've been convicted to sell a lot of my clothes and give the money to Haiti, but I haven't done it yet. A lot of it has to do with time restrictions... but I think I'm just going to sell the bags of clothes at one lump price for whoever will take them on Craigslist.
ReplyDeleteI am amazed that I am in the top 2% of the world. That astounds me because we scrape to get by financially... but then, I also look around me and see how much we actually HAVE...it's a lot. And it's unbalanced.
Thinking about Macedonia, who gave beyond their means even IN THEIR POVERTY....
2 Corinthians 9
That is quite challenging and crazy to think about the fact that we could be able to help others so much more for being so "rich". The hard part is that we are all not very rich in the country we live in but weould be super rich in another country. don't you agree? but anyway you have certainly caused me to think more and more about myself. I really would love to be good at making my own clothing so I could make a living and use the money for doing good for those who are poverty ridden elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteVictoria, I completely agree: though we are maybe a part of the top 2% of the wealthiest in the world, we may need nearly every penny we have to pay for bills (that's how I feel at least).
ReplyDeleteBut, I think Elliott and I could always strive to do better. Do we NEED to buy that coffee on the go or a little extra snack? What if we saved all those dollars and donated a little extra to our Compassion child instead?...