"Think of Me"

I saw this video on the Ivey Blog first. I wanted to post it here because I think it is thought-provoking.

One weird thing about traveling between two of my favorite countries is the disparity in wealth. I actually don't have a problem with vast prosperity, my problem lies more in the selfish pursuit of it and with those that have much but close their eyes and turn their backs on the world around them.

One time many years ago Troy and I got a check for 20K. It was a severance package from a big company that laid him off. We used the entire thing for home-improvements - gave zero of it to church or any ministry.

Don't assume that I spend a lot of time expecting people to have a clue, I am guilty of being selfish with money at times too. If there is one thing I have learned in the last three years it is this: You cannot out-give God. Any time we've hemmed and hawed about giving money to someone or something and ended up doing it, we have been blessed. Maybe not in terms that some would expect, not dollar for dollar ... but I can tell you, we've never regretted giving. The only thing I have ever regretted is rationalizing a way to NOT give.

I enjoy more than my fair share of Starbucks, I have always liked shopping for clothes, and I can tell you that we spend way more than $200 a month on gas for a Suburban when we are Stateside. Those things in and of themselves are not the issue in my opinion. The issue is, if we have that kind of money to toss around on material things ... what are we doing to invest in God's people around the world?