So……..I woke up early this morning……4:30am?!?…….no point in trying to get back to sleep. I figured that I’d go out on the patio to watch the sunrise and do my Bible reading for the day. As it turns out, this is a fairly lengthy process: build a fire in the fire pit………pull a shot of espresso…….froth some milk for the crema……..wipe off the dew. While I was at it, I fired up the robot vacuum to clean up the mess from last night’s dinner party.
So I’m standing at the espresso machine working on my latte………and all that the robot wants to do is vacuum the square yard of floor that I’m standing on…….over and over and over.
I had some unkind words……..for the robot……..as I prepared for my morning devotional……..my morning conversation with God. I verbally savaged a machine in preparation for a conversation with my creator………the guy who has blessed me with a lifestyle that very few people in our current world enjoy………a lifestyle that Jesus didn’t enjoy.
And then it hit me.
I am an ungrateful snot.
You may or may not have an espresso machine, or a robot vacuum, or a patio. But, compared to the 8 billion people on this planet…….as an American……..you are blessed. Your lifestyle, just like mine……is in the top 1 or 2 percent.
We have, you and I, been blessed…….individually……..and as a nation. And we need to start acting like it……..individually………and as a nation.
So my question is this:
When was the last time that you felt sorry for yourself? When was the last time that you complained about your life?
For me………it’s been at least 15 minutes.
When was the last time that you shared your individual blessings with someone who was struggling? When was the last time you asked your congressman to send more aid to Africa……or Bangladesh?
For me……..it’s been a while.
I worry that I……..and my nation……..have become ungrateful…….and self absorbed. We once sought God……as a nation………and I worry that we have lost that. As a nation we need to invite God back into our public life.
As an individual……………I need to spend more energy saying “thank you lord”…….and less energy saying “why me?”
One of God’s many promises is that if we seek him……he will bless us.
Another of God’s promises is that if we bless others, he will bless us.
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land .
God, ESV
Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.
Solomon, ESV
Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
Jesus, ESV