I apologize for not posting in a while. It got really busy last semester and then Christmas break came around. Really, all I wanted to do is spend it with my family. I don't feel guilty about not posting though. I think I needed a break to gather my thoughts and to really think about what I wanted this blog to do with the people around me. However, I am back and I am very excited to continue sharing the thoughts that God has put in my head.
Just a few days ago, I sat down with one of my best friends here at college. We grabbed a coffee and were trying to catch up since we hadn't seen each other in a few weeks. What was going to be maybe a 30 minute conversation turned into almost a few hours. I bet you're wondering how that could happen. Well, it isn't because we're girls.
The conversation that started with stories of being home and crazy Christmas tales turned into a discussion about a topic that we are both very passionate about: missions.
You see, my friend has traveled to Haiti a couple of times as she was in high school. And, as you guys know, I've been to Uganda. We've had conversations about missions before, but this one in particular was very special and close to my heart.
Do you guys remember the first world problems hashtag and meme from a few years ago? Maybe this will help out a bit:
Does that seem familiar now? How about the Skeptical Third World Kid meme?
We use the First World Problem hashtag as a way to complain about our country. We just slap it on the end of a tweet and we believe that we are being funny. And I'll be the first to admit that I have used this hashtag. Maybe not on tweets, but I have definitely said it whether it be referring to having to walk to class or referring to the fact that my dining hall doesn't have anything good to eat for dinner.
And you know what?
I am so ashamed of this hashtag. So ashamed.
This seems so cliche, but we shouldn't be complaining for this life that we live. Complaining about the water and food we have easy access to doesn't do us any good. We come off as petty and conceited. As if the United States doesn't already seem that way to others, we have to add this complaint to push it even farther.
You see, my friend and I were sharing stories about being in Haiti and Uganda. Specifically, we were discussing how awful we as first world people seem to third world societies. I remember telling my friend a couple of specific stories about Uganda when I was so ridden with guilt and shame of my country.
In Uganda, the people there have to travel to a well in order to get water for their homes. This "well" could be only a few yards from their house or it could be well over 3 miles (there and back). While visiting a school there, we got to experience the journey (about half a mile give or take a bit) to the well. The terrain was rough; roots and rocks stuck up everywhere. It was easy to trip and fall. (At the time, I had on a knee brace from a dislocation earlier in the summer, so it was a more difficult trek for me.) I remember our youth leader having the opportunity to help a man put containers of water on his bike. As they walked together, the man asked our leader how far we had to walk to get our water for our homes.
I don't know if any of you understand, but it was probably one of the most difficult things to tell this man that we only have to walk a few feet in our homes and water is instantly available. This caused me to think about all of the times I had complained about not having hot water for a shower, about how the filter hadn't been changed in our fridge, and about when the water pressure was to low for my "standards". So much shame weighed upon me in that moment.
Then there was another time when a little girl asked how we got to school (i.e. how far we had to walk). That was another difficult conversation. We had to explain to this little girl (who was maybe 6-8 years old) that we each had our own car that we drove to school in the morning and it only took us about five minutes to get there.
Those children walk miles upon miles to get an education. Some of them even walking five miles there and five miles back to there homes. And not all of them get to attend. Only a select few.
How many times have I taken my car for granted? Answer: too many to count.
I don't want to use the cliche and say that we need to understand that others have it worse than we do. And I don't want to blame anybody or try and make anybody feel guilty. We just need to recognize who remarkably blessed we are with our lives. We are so blessed that our complaints sound petty compared to the threatening challenges of clean water, accessible food sources and devastating medical challenges faced by the Third World populations.
Even Christianity has its own First World Problems. We can see these in 2 Timothy 2. In this chapter, Paul repeatedly tells Timothy not to get involved in foolish or petty arguments. He tells Timothy to remind people to stop fighting over words. Today, it's easy to spot Believers when they get sidetracked by the Christian equivalent of First World Problems.
Feel free to insert your choice of words here:
- The music at church is too…(loud, quiet, traditional, contemporary, inauthentic, unprofessional).
- The preacher at my church preaches…(too long, too short, too deep, too shallow, without enough meat, without enough application, without enough stories, with too many stories).
- I could never share the gospel with them they…(would be offended, might think I’m weird, would never believe that really matters to me, would hold me to a higher standard).
- I’m switching churches because my kids…(don’t connect here, like the program over there, need more personal attention, need a larger group with more activities).
- I’m thinking about going somewhere else because my church changed…(locations, Sunday School, Small Groups, Sunday night services, visitation, the free coffee they serve on Sunday morning).
If we are being completely honest here, none of the ideas or thoughts above are wicked or sinful. We're human, we are going to have these thoughts. However, we, as followers of Christ, have a responsibility to carefully consider the group of people God intends for us to grow with. We need to be accountable with them and partner with them in ministry. We need to be committed to making sure that our practice of faith and the principles of Scripture closely align.
With that being said, there are those comfortable problems that are debated by those that are privileged. And by privileged, I mean to say that they have the time, energy and resources to argue about one preference over another.
These problems can lead to broke relationships, declining influence of the church and the breakage of the strength of the body of Christ.
2 Timothy 2:10 says, "So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen."
Let's just remember how blessed we are to have the life that God has given us. There is no sense in comparing us to others. For some of them believe, too, they are blessed with the life that God has given them.
The First World Problem hashtag/meme will always be dislike by me. However, the usage of it does remind me of how blessed I am to be living this life. I just need to remember to thank my Father every day for the opportunities I have been given and not to take anything for granted.
