The more I learn about God and His character the more confused I get and the more I struggle. I realise over and over again that I simply do not have it all together. Maybe this is a good thing, at least God is my number one. I don't understand injustice and my heart seems hardened to it, I can't answer why Christians live in luxury when 30,000 starve everyday and I just don't not have a clue where God is taking me in the future. It seems as though I'm all mixed up but the amazing thing is that it doesn't matter. God is good and tells me that today has enough worries and everything is in control, I have nothing to be concerned about. Now that is special.

I've thought about this whole wealth issue a lot. I've talked with more people about it and have tried to get to the bottom of it. To be honest I have only more questions than answers, so I'm not really in a better place to stand. I have realised that the world has battered Christians with this idea that luxury can be justified, this is terrifying. I do understand that the Lord I love gives people more responsibility with more wealth and possessions, but is only a responsibilty to give more. God does not give us more for our standard of living to increase but our standard of giving to increase. Again, I do not have it together and I don't claim to even understand all this but how on earth can a God of Justice bless us with so much 'stuff' and not expect us to share. People are dying before they no who died for sin. Now tell me where your wealth should be invested, yourself and your living? Or for the kingdom's sake?

I believe our walk on this earth is about balance in many areas. Take for example your works for God. The works that He has chosen to use us for and the responsilities He has given us. You have to balance these. Too little and you become lazy and too much that you lose your fruitfulness. In the same way we need balance with our wealth. Jesus taught us to pray "give us our daily bread", this is a huge statement for us given the responsibility of wealth. Jesus is asking the father for only daily bread, just what we need for the day on a daily basis. Not extra and not less, only what we need, and yet we seem to forget this, we are given our daily bread and the daily bread for others. Instead of distributing out the daily bread we have indirectly kept it for ourselves in the west. I wonder why any of us even pray the Lord's prayer, we ask for daily bread but take more than that. What's point in praying that if that phrase is empty and void of heart. There is no point in praying if you don't take only your daily bread. The balance can be applied in this way: either side of daily bread is not good. We need a balance of wealth; too much is seriously unhealthy (materialism and love of possessions) and too little (poverty) is seriously unhealthy too. We need a balance so that the needs of everyone over the planet are met. There is enough, it's plain. God gives us extra for us to bless others. I believe that there can a new way of living and a new world. I could be accused of thinking like a communist (we what happened to that) for suggesting this equality, but I think there is far more to it. We are all equal before God, how about we show that through our lives. Like I've said before, in the slums of brasil I met people with only enough food for about 2 days, enough water for their family and friends, to us it would seem like they had nothing but infact they had EVERYTHING because they have Jesus. They had only their daily bread and were the happiest people I have ever met. Wealth in itself seems like it's a poverty too. Either side of daily bread there is poverty, however obvious it is.
While we were in Borneo Phil and Ray were reminiscing about their camping trips to Scotland and Wales and what an amazing time they had. Ray said "there is something special about carrying all you need on your back, you feel so great about it". It's the same feeling I had in Brasil after I was robbed and I can describe it as liberating to have only your daily bread.
The answer is not to sell everything and put yourself into poverty. As I've already said that's not the answer, it's not healthy. The answer is to take only what you NEED and allow God to give you your daily bread.
When the Israelites were taken out of slavery by God through Moses they spent 40 years in the wilderness and they fed manna and quail by God. God provided for them what they needed for the day. God recommended how much they should take for that day, only for the day. Some Israelites took more than their 'daily bread' (manna and quail) and by the next day it had gone mouldy and covered with maggots. Take only your daily bread! Apply that to our lives.
Jesus - "give us this day our daily bread". Pray it like you mean it. Be like Jesus. Love, Mercy, Justice.


Some people might not like what I say or have written, it's what I expect. I wouldn't be surprised if someone read this a came up with all sorts of excuses. Under the new covenant we are to be Christ-like, so be like Jesus. If this issues stirs you, don't play it down and forget about it. Don't get to the end of your life and wish things had been different. Don't drift and wait for a lightning bolt, we have got be like Jesus. Those with wealth, be challenged. Those with little, be challenge. Let God shape you and refine you. Let God twist you, bend you, break you. Let God be first in your life, let others come second and you come last. Be last and serve. Store treasure in heaven and not in this world. Cling not onto image and popularity for these are empty to God. Don't let indifference enter your thinking, but simply be united with God and fight for His heart.
Be challenged. You don't have to have all the answers. You can be a mess like me too. But whatever you do put God first and take only your daily bread.