World Perspective

This year I have been focusing on changing my perspective from an "American" perspective to a "World" perspective. God doesn't just think about the US, He doesn't just bless the US, and He doesn't just hurt when He sees His people in the US hurt. I have been expanding my point of view and this has done several things for me.

I feel so blessed, not just because of all the amazing opportunities in my life but, for the simple things. I have air conditioning, access to a washer and dryer, if there was an emergency I would be able to get to a hospital. I am able to freely read my bible and freely worship my God, our Creator. As a woman, I am able to get an education, to own property, to get a job. If someone were to abuse me or hurt me justice would be found.

I also realize that God placed me into a life of blessedness for a reason. I am here now so that I can go and tell of God's love. God put a heart in my body that cannot help but share the love and compassion of God wherever I go. He put me here, in this blessed life, so that I would have access to the resources needed so that I can go, so that I can be His hands and feet.

I also, now that I have knowledge about how the rest of the world lives, cannot revert to a former, more ignorant self. As I walk around town and hear people complains that they only were able to get 5 shirts when they went shopping with their mom because "money was tight", I just want to shake them. "At least you have money, you have clothes". In the US we are among the richest in the world. That means even going to the worst parts of the US, much more than half of the world lives in worse conditions than that. Don't believe me? Wiki the Human Development Index which is a combination of life expectancy, literacy rates, and standards of living. The US is color coded deep green, the highest rating possible. Central and South America and Asian countries are light green to yellow, mid ratings. Then Africa is orange and deep red, the lowest possible ratings. Here people live on less than a dollar a day, die from easily preventable diseases. Here is a continent of orphans whose parents were just children themselves, stolen by HIV and war that they were forced into.

Now that I know I cannot ignore the rest of the world. In the same way that when I learned that God loved me so much that He sent His son, who died and then rose again to save me from a life a slavery to desires of a dying earth.

Today, and in your life, try shifting your focus from one of self pity because of our "bad economy" to one that feels blessed because we have an economy and a government that is at least existent. Shift your focus from what you don't have to what they don't have and how you can help. Shift your prayers from "God help me, God give me" to "God bless them, protect them, raise up harvesters to go and tell them that you love them". I am calling you to shift from comfortable ignorance to unsettling knowledge.