Tuesday, July 13, 2010

.My Thoughts... From Hell.

I have related to several people recently the way that I grew up... Understanding two core realities that are still true today...
  1. This Child is probably already dead.
  2. The organization that distributed this photo is probably taking more than 90 cents of every $1 given.


Do you know what that meant for me? Do Nothing.


I thought, "I can't do everything, so I won't do anything." and David Platt rightly says: that thinking is from hell. I have since said, and still believe--"better those children get pennies on the dollar, than the nothing I gave them."


Don't miss this-I am not saying give to corrupt organizations... I am saying give.


David Platt points out in his book that it is very possible that we can miss our blind spots. Even with accountability, even with daily Bible study, even with prayer... sometimes we miss it. (I missed it). David points out that as:


We look back on slave-owning churchgoers of 150 years ago and ask, "How could they have treated their fellow human beings that way?" I wonder followers of Christ 150 years from now will look back at Christians in America today and ask, "How could they live in such big houses? How could they drive such nice cars and wear such nice clothes? How could they live in such affluence while thousands of children were dying because they didn't have food and water? How could they go on with their lives as though the billions of poor didn't even exist?"
(David Platt, Radical)



The Truth: My whole life I have struggled with the desire for more and seeing the grass as always greener on the other side.

Now I know that grass is nothing more than the a distorted reflection of earth scorched by hell and meticulously painted green by the American dream.

Want to make a real difference for starving children in Africa? Want something you do to count for God's kingdom not yours? Let me introduce you to Into the Streets of Ethiopia. Currently they are working to mobilize formula to children in Ethiopia who are needlessly dying of starvation by the thousands daily. $12 is all it takes to get formula to Ethiopia...

Can I be honest? If you can't spare $12, your dinner better not look like this:



Because one of God's image looks like this:



God help me NOT TO FORGET...

4 comments:

Tiffany said...

Perfect Jim. Today I have been so overwhelmed with thoughts about how not much matters anymore - my hair, my clothes, my house, what people think of me, etc. For the first time in my life I feel like I am finally living. I am living with my eyes focused on heaven and getting others there - for the FIRST time. That is all that matters! In order to get these babies there, we have to feed them first so that they can live long enough to hear the gospel.

PS I've been thinking....my arms and my heart is pretty big. How about yours?
Love you.

Tiffany said...

Are pretty big. Sorry when I get excited and passionate - I can't type!

The O'Neal Family said...

What a GREAT message! I have been having the same problem with wondering why other people can't see the need and act on it. I also, like Tiffany am having a hard time looking at my life and what matters and have a lot of difficulty buying anything that isn't a need for my family as I just think "this could feed x amount of children in need and that is what is important". I wished everyone could just have their hearts feel what we feel and realize that if everyone even did a little millions of lives could be saved and innocent children wouldn't have to suffer. I will definitely be sending this on to everyone I know and appreciate what you have written.

http://expecting-from-ethiopia.blogspot.com/

Tymm said...

Well said. No reason to skirt around the real issues at hand - I applaud ya for that.

David Platt helped me see things differently too (well it started with Chan, moved on to "Hole in our Gospel" and got rounded out with Platt).

God bless your heart for the least who are really the Utmost in His eyes...