Temptation. The American Dream. The two car garage, with two cars actually inside, a fancy house with everything inside we could ever need to clutter the heck out of every nook and craning in the dream house; that we do not actually own because we are up to our ears in dept trying to keep up with the “Jones”.

Temptation. The innate ability inside all of us to hoard way more than our daily bread like we are the Israelite’s hoarding manna in the wilderness.

Temptation. The ability to idolize material possessions or any spiritual blessings.

“This idolatry of Christian comfort is something that I can understand. It’s the comfort of God’s grace and love; the comfort of my own salvation; the comfort of a marvelous, guaranteed future. But rather than looking at our own blessed circumstances and then the unfortunate circumstances of others who are without Christ and saying, “thank God I’m not them.” We need to recognize that our circumstances are by the grace of God alone-and pray for mercy that we avoid the temptations of our blessed circumstances.”
–Michael Oh, Finish the Mission

Have you ever considered what life would be like if you were not born in America? What if you were born in the slums of Kampala, Uganda or into an Islamic extremest family in the middle east, how would you want the Christians of North America to respond?

I have thought of these things several times, but now that I live in Uganda, I often question God. Why was I fortunate enough to be born into an American family with more than enough of my daily bread provided? I will never know the full answer on this earth, but what I do know is Luke 12:48 says,  “… When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.”

Jesus is abundantly clear on how we should live until he comes. Those of us who have been given much {American resources}, much will be required from us to make Jesus’s name known to all of the nations. We are to use every ounce of our resources, talents, and knowledge we have to advance the kingdom of God. God will not hold us accountable for gifts he has not given us, but he will hold us accountable for all of the many talents and blessing he has given us. God provides us resources not as the purpose of life, but toward the pursuit of his agenda, not to pursue our own comforts. 

“It’s like there’s a war raging, but we are all staying far away from the battlefield where we’ve dug out our bunkers. We’re hoarding all the food, provisions, tools, resources, and weapons, enjoying each other’s company. We’re putting up barbed wire and setting out sandbags and land mines on the perimeter while a war is being waged way out there. Those blankets, those food rations, those tools, those weapons, those soldiers, that barbed wire, and those sandbags were designed as provision for war. Those provisions are prayed for and are provide to serve God’s purposes for this world and for our lives. They are for the global and eternal worship of and living for God. God provides those resources not as the purpose of life but toward the pursuit of His agenda.”
-Michael Oh, Finish the Mission