Psalms 67:4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.
Have you ever been somewhere that made you appreciate what you really had and opened your eyes to your blessings? It is easy to compare ourselves with others. For example, I have had the privilege during this life to visit people who are very rich materially that live in $250,000 homes and up. From the exterior, people with these living standards are looked upon as being rich or grossly in debt. Is it the material things that matter most in this life? Jesus said in Luke 12:15, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.”
Over the past week, I was able to travel with a team of nine people to the heart of Jamaica. You may think that this would definitely be a mission trip that you would want to go on considering the beaches and the pictures you may have seen on television. What they don’t show you is the real lives of the people living beyond the fences of the beautiful resorts. Our team travelled three hours up winding roads on the edge of mountains into the heart of the island. The views were some of the most beautiful I had ever seen. As we arrived at the church, we found ourselves in the middle of no where it seemed, yet there was life all around.
I compare the living standard to that of my great grandparents. Most of the homes were made of concrete blocks with tin roofs and were only big enough to meet their needs. They did not have a lot of excess but survived with the daily bread that the Lord provided. Most of them were slim, because they ate to survive and not to hide their pain and loneliness. The sense of community was strong and the children enjoyed playing outside together. They walked to school or had to get a ride in a taxi. They had to retrieve their water in jugs and barrels and carry it to their homes. Most of them were not privileged to have hot showers, television or computers and life went on.
I was touched the most by our visit to the new home of a young married couple named Samantha and Lennox. There home was a concrete, one-roomed house that was 14 X 20 feet or 280 square feet. The family of four lived in this house. The bedroom was on one side and the kitchen was on the other. They were happy and had our group over to pray in their house. They were workers for the Lord and Lennox served as deacon at the mission which was located in their back yard. The church building was painted yellow and blue. It consisted of ply-wood, 4 X 4’s, 2 X 4’s, a zinc or tin roof, gravel for the floor, two lights and wooden benches. On the exterior, it didn’t seem like much, however the gospel is proclaimed there faithfully each week and lives are being changed. The revival services were more spiritual than many that I have been to in the States, because their focus was on worshipping Christ Jesus and seeing souls saved by the grace of God before it is too late. There was a greater urgency to prepare to meet their Maker and these people realized that life was not all about the things they possessed.
If you could take a look into the lives of these people, you would find that they were rich beyond compare. It wasn’t a perfect place, but I was able to get a glimpse of the things that are most important—serving God with all our lives, sharing the hope found in Christ with unbelievers, loving the local church, building strong homes, and living with eternity in mind everyday. This only touches the surface, but I hope it allows you to see God’s love for all people and helps you live a simple life that glorifies Him in every way.
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