How often do you wish you had something you don’t have? Are you continually seeking to fill a void? Are you dealing with first world problems rather than true needs? Do you know what a first world problem is?
We are often dealing with first world problems. We wrestle with technology. Our vehicle needs repair. We can’t find the style of clothes we like. We want a bigger house. You fill in the blank for your wants. They are all first world problems and they dominate our minds.
I can’t say that I’ve been to a third world country, but I have been to a couple second world countries. I’ve seen a 10-year old boy try to sell his sister for a meal. I’ve seen people with PhD’s working for less than our minimum wage. I’ve seen people purchase the minimum food they can get by with for their evening meal and do that day after day, often not sure what they will be able to afford the next day.
Once you’ve seen the second world problems, our first world problems become frivolous. Your eyes are opened to the riches we have that go unappreciated. Honestly, it becomes disheartening and frustrating to see people whining and complaining about what they want and falsely think they need. Yet, I fall into that trap myself.
How can we combat our desire to continually want more and more and more? The key is to be in prayer. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray continually. But what are we to pray? We are to thank God for what He has blessed us with.
When we are thankful for each and everything we have, we begin to realize how much God has blessed us. How often do we thank God for having a vehicle? How often do we thank God for a change of clothes? How often do we thank God for the food we don’t like? How often do we thank God for our homes? I must confess, I don’t thank Him near enough.
We are called to be the example to the world. Part of that example is to be a praying people, a thankful people. We are to open our eyes and see all the blessings we have. I can attest personally that when we start to do this, we begin to see more and more blessings. We see blessings we had not previously recognized, perhaps for years.
I pray we all open our eyes and see the blessings we have received from God. I pray we give thanks to God for our blessings. I pray each of us will spend time in prayer thanking God, listing everything we have one-by-one. Spend time in prayer. Thank God for His rich blessings. Be the example for others. Be a thankful person. Open your eyes and see all that God has blessed you with.
Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Marty Pressey 