First World Problems

I love Monday night class with my Bible Study Group, not just for the friendship, but for the application of the Bible readings to our lives. Last Monday, while discussing John Chapter 6, somehow, the topic turned to first world problems and how we complain. We complain about having to buy lunch. We complain about our job. We complain about the wrongs of others. We are just a bunch of people who love to complain.

We complain about things that, if we decided to go into the inner city or a third world country, our complaints would be considered meaningless. And yet, the followers of Christ complained about not being fed. So it became more of the question, if we were in the same situation would we not get the point of Christ was setting us up to feed our soul and not our stomach. By inventorying my own life, I realized that by focusing on feeding my soul, my complaining became less. The big problems are really just small bumps along the way of life. The first world problems are nothing compared to what others are experiencing in other countries.

Christ was kind enough to give me a roof over my head. Christ was kind enough to give me a job. Christ was kind enough to give me food for my stomach. Christ was kind enough to give me health issues in which I can receive proper healthcare. Yet, somehow because my life is not good enough, it gives us all permission to complain. Looking at the big picture, we can take five steps back and really think about what issues we are really complaining about.

Are we complaining to just complain about something, or are we complaining because we truly have something to complain about? The third world countries have more to complain about. Yet, somewhere, we found it okay to be like the Israelites and grumble about only having bread. The Israelites did not realize or want to know that grumbling was not changing the outcomes of what was going to happen. For God had already written history and knew what the future held for everyone. We are grumbling, but not about the bread. We are grumbling about the excessive possessions we already own. We are the Israelites when we feel like God is somehow punishing us for not giving us the opportunity to do as we please. We are the Israelites grumbling about having a mean boss, a long commute, various health issues, etc.

Maybe if we truly want happiness we need to look at the third world countries. The third world countries have corruption, lack of healthcare, lack of food, death tolls that are astonishing. And yet, we see children excited to be able to go to school. We see children running in fields playing ball with something that they made out of scrapes of anything they could find. The lesson is we need to stop grumbling about the small issues and learn to be grateful for the possessions that God has given us in out comfortable lives.