Water as a Luxury

Over the past few weeks, God has really been challenging me with the issue of extreme poverty. Sadly, living securely in the Western world, I've found it hard to relate. However, this led me to pray a simple prayer in which I asked God to allow me feel what He feels about the oppression of His people. 

When the plumber who removed the boiler from our flat said to me, "You're not going to have hot water until I get this fixed sometime tomorrow", I had to smile. God answered my prayer in a simple way--by taking away my luxury of hot water. No hot water means no hot showers. Although this was only a temporary problem, it was a very very small taste of what millions of people around the world experience on a daily basis--for the first time in my life, I wanted to have that luxury taken away if it meant God could change me and my selfishness. I wanted God to open my eyes, and He did. And now, as a result, my heart is breaking for those suffering around the world as never before.


God has been filling me with such a strong conviction  to do something about poverty and social injustice. There are all kinds of injustices all around the world:  people with unclean drinking water, child slavery, sex trafficking, and illegal working conditions that people are being forced to work under to name just a FEW.


If I'm being honest, I don't particularly enjoy thinking about these things, after all, who really wants to think about them?  If I start thinking about those who are suffering, then I know that feelings of guilt and conviction will come, and I won't know what to do when those come, so...I'd rather just not think about it...and...uh...someone else will sort it out anyways. Someone who is...more equipped.

If you're anything like me, you have had a similar conversation with yourself. But please, I'm urging you, we musn't fool ourselves any longer! The time for action is NOW; the time for action is TODAY! In today's world we have everything we need to help--social networking (which can raise awareness and profiling of social injustices), money, and more--God has blessed us with so many resources! The question is, how are we using those resources He's given to us?! 


You might be intrigued to hear some of the most recent statistics about poverty...these statistics have the potential to change your life, and your attitude towards changing someone else's.


(The following Statistics are taken from Author Scott Todd's book, 58:Fast Living, How the Church will End Extreme Poverty)


Be prepared to be shocked...


-"In the past 8 years, the number of kids dying from measles has DECLINED by 78% (from 733,000 deaths per year to 164,000) because we are completing the work of immunizing every child."


-"22 countries have CUT their malaria rate IN HALF in only 6 years. They did it with insecticide-treated bed nets, access to better medicines, and spraying to kill mosquitoes. Globally, malaria infections have DECREASED by 19 million per year and malaria deaths  have dropped 140,000 per year between 2005 and 2009."


-"Every day there are 19,000 FEWER children dying of preventable causes--every day!"


-"1/3 of the children who were uneducated because of poverty CAN NOW GO to school. Literacy rates are CLIMBING. Those gains were made in less than 10 YEARS."


-"Today there about 1.4 billion people living in extreme poverty (2005). And that's good news. in 1981, 52% of the world's population lived in extreme poverty. Today that number is 26%! If we were still at 52%, then an additional 2 BILLION people would STILL be suffering in extreme poverty. We have already cut the percentage of people living in extreme poverty IN HALF! And we did it in ONE GENERATION!"


Now do you think it's possible for us to get involved in bringing an end to poverty!? 

I must confess, I have been far too selfish with what I have; I have been far too comfortable and far too complacent with what God has given me--physically as well as spiritually. The amount of money I spend on coffee each month could probably support a child in need somewhere. Ashamedly, as I'm sat here writing this, I've been taking sips of my hot and delicious, Christmas special, Starbucks Praline Mocha. Please hear me out...I'm not saying it's wrong to enjoy the things we have; nor am I saying that drinking Starbucks is wrong. I don't think it is. Drinking fairtrade coffee IS a small way that we can actually help coffee farmers around the world to receive the fair amount of money for their labor. 


However, I believe it is the frequency of the pleasure and the cost of which we are willing to pay  for that pleasure (whatever it might be) that is the real heart of the matter. 


I could write pages and pages on this topic because it is something that God is really giving me a strong passion for; I do not want to stay silent; and therefore, I will not. I am choosing to speak up from now on. I want to help people who are undergoing injustice--I desperately want to help!! 

With that said, if I want to help, then I MUST think about them, and I must ACT. Thinking is not enough. My thinking must require some sort of positive action. 


We need to stop giving into the lie that we can't do anything about what is going on in other parts of the world. We must not believe that lie that says that poverty and other sorts of injustice don't involve us, therefore it doesn't affect us.THIS ALL AFFECTS US!!! 


How would you like to say to the parents of a young teenage girl that has been forced to have sex in payment for the debt of her family..."I'm sorry, it doesn't affect me." Or..."I'm sorry, but I am not going to do anything about that." 


Chances are, YOU and I WOULD NOT SAY THAT! So let's stop subconsciously SAYING IT! 


God is a God of justice. These injustices break the heart of God so much more than we could ever understand. If justice didn't matter to God, then the Bible wouldn't speak of the matter, but this is not the case.


Here are just some of the verses I've found to give you an idea how important bringing justice to the world truly is-- to God, and therefore, how important it should be to you and I...


Exodus 23:2 “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd,"

Deuteronomy 16:20 
"Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the LORD your God is giving you."

Deut. 24:17
"Do not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge."

Job 8:3 

"Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right?"

Psalm 9:16b


"The LORD is known by his acts of justice;"

Psalm 11:7

"For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face."

Psalm 33:5


"The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love."

Psalm 50:6


"And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice."

I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea! 


I would challenge you to type in "justice" on Biblegateway.com, and just see how many times this issue is addressed all throughout the Bible. 


We need to stop kidding ourselves and take some responsibility for these things taking place in our own world. Please join me in no longer turning a blind eye, but getting involved!


How do we get involved? Well firstly, get informed! The more you and I learn about the injustices taking place, the more we will realise how we ourselves can get involved. 


God is so powerful and He can do all things; why then are we not EXPECTING Him to bring justice to His people? And why do we not want to be a part of it?!  


I don't know about you, but the more I learn about all of this in Scripture, through the Web, and more--the more I want to do something. I can't sit still! 


Other practical ways you can help....
-purchase fair trade coffee, clothes, etc... (this will help raise the profiles of those who are suffering worldwide from injustice!)
-tell others about what you've learned! 
-consider sponsoring a child in need monthly (Go to compassion.co.uk or compassion.com if you're interested!) 
-send mosquito nets to Africa!


God has equipped us with everything we need to do the task--to administer HIS justice to the poor, the broken, the naked, the marginalised--what are we going to do with our resources!? 


Please. Join me. Let's give away all that we've been given, as we begin to expect with a new attitude, our mighty and powerful God to act and move powerfully all over the world! 


May this all bring glory to Jesus. 


Sorry for the rant...well...really I'm not. It's important. 


Don't you think?