Is wealth a gift from God? (Christian only Response Please)

Soul Winner

Húrin wrote: »

In a world of 6.8 billion people, a group of thousands is rare. I am interested to hear Soul winner's opinion though.

I was shooting from the hip, I could be wrong, the rareness I assumed stems from a basic knowledge that I possess not from thorough research or anything. Put it this way, I doubt there is as many which do this sort of work as there are McDonalds’ employees but again I could be wrong, I'm not in the field myself but I regularly support charities and from the information they send me it suggests more helpers would be nice.

sorella

er.. a religious order is not a charity. Huge difference.

Soul Winner wrote: »

I was shooting from the hip, I could be wrong, the rareness I assumed stems from a basic knowledge that I possess not from thorough research or anything. Put it this way, I doubt there is as many which do this sort of work as there are McDonalds’ employees but again I could be wrong, I'm not in the field myself but I regularly support charities and from the information they send me it suggest more helpers would be nice.

Soul Winner

sorella wrote: »

er.. a religious order is not a charity. Huge difference.

Well if we take charities out of the equation then the number of people who do this kind of work is even less than I first supposed, which would make it even rarer no???

Húrin

Soul Winner wrote: »

I was shooting from the hip, I could be wrong, the rareness I assumed stems from a basic knowledge that I possess not from thorough research or anything. Put it this way, I doubt there is as many which do this sort of work as there are McDonalds’ employees but again I could be wrong, I'm not in the field myself but I regularly support charities and from the information they send me it suggests more helpers would be nice.

I didn't mean that I wanted explanation of why you think they are rare. I meant, what factors within the world and the church have made selfless service a minority pursuit even among Christians?

Soul Winner

Húrin wrote: »

I didn't mean that I wanted explanation of why you think they are rare. I meant, what factors within the world and the church have made selfless service a minority pursuit even among Christians?

Oh that. The ‘me first’ bent in human nature for a self serving existence I suppose. Paul calls it ‘a law in my members’ an actual force that prevents him from doing the good he wants to do and that can’t stop him from doing the bad he doesn’t want to do. “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 7:24-25

I believe if we can affect the circle of influence that we all have in our own little lives where we actually live it would be much better served if we could be more selfless in our actions, instead of feeling guilty for not doing good to the unfortunates of the world thousands of miles away, then the world would be a much better place, our own part in it at least.

It is amazing how the real selfless acts of some people for the benefit of other people can make more people want to do likewise. It is contagious. If we could keep this kind of wild fire going and the world would be a much better place to live.

I believe that's why Jesus tells us to love God with all our hearts and each other as ourselves. In doing these two things we will have kept the whole law. The problem is that we need to be enlivened in order to do it, (like Paul just mentioned) and the source of that enlivening is God. We have the promise that for faith God will put His spirit in us, and if we maintain that spirit in us by daily acts of faith then that spirit can do no other than be itself through us, and that is what spirituality really means, the expressions of the spirit, and the scripture says we prove the genuineness of that spirit in us by the 'way' we give.

Not sure who said it but it fits right here, in short: "Be the change you want to see."

sorella

Nice evasions.

Blessings

Soul Winner wrote: »

Oh that. The ‘me first’ bent in human nature for a self serving existence I suppose. Paul calls it ‘a law in my members’ an actual force that prevents him from doing the good he wants to do and that can’t stop him from doing the bad he doesn’t want to do. “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 7:24-25

I believe if we can affect the circle of influence that we all have in our own little lives where we actually live it would be much better served if we could be more selfless in our actions, instead of feeling guilty for not doing good to the unfortunates of the world thousands of miles away, then the world would be a much better place, our own part in it at least.

It is amazing how the real selfless acts of some people for the benefit of other people can make more people want to do likewise. It is contagious. If we could keep this kind of wild fire going and the world would be a much better place to live.

I believe that's why Jesus tells us to love God with all our hearts and each other as ourselves. In doing these two things we will have kept the whole law. The problem is that we need to be enlivened in order to do it, (like Paul just mentioned) and the source of that enlivening is God. We have the promise that for faith God will put His spirit in us, and if we maintain that spirit in us by daily acts of faith then that spirit can do no other than be itself through us, and that is what spirituality really means, the expressions of the spirit, and the scripture says we prove the genuineness of that spirit in us by the 'way' we give.

Not sure who said it but it fits right here, in short: "Be the change you want to see."

JimiTime

Soul Winner wrote: »

It is amazing how the real selfless acts of some people for the benefit of other people can make more people want to do likewise. It is contagious. If we could keep this kind of wild fire going and the world would be a much better place to live.

Amazingly enough, I witnessed this first hand yesterday. I was on the M-50 returning home from work, and the snowfall was causing havoc. A van was stuck up ahead. Wheel spinning and going nowhere. It was doing it for a while, until one person stopped looking and went to give him a push. All of a sudden, lots were out of their cars, pushing numerous vans further up the motorway all sparked by one person kicking it off. Small I know, but it certainly is contagious.

Soul Winner

sorella wrote: »

Nice evasions.

Blessings

For those of us not as astute as others around here and who fail miserably in picking up on your witty remarks, would you mind elaborating your point please?

I’ll give you a hand shall I?

1. Say what it is you actually want to say. Plain English would be nice.
2. Explain what you actually mean, and you are free to quote prior posts to support your argument.
3. If you have a point then it will be conceded. If not then you’ll just look a bit silly (it's not the end of the world), but for God’s sake stop hiding behind childish remarks and say what it is you want to say, other than that just say nothing at all.

Soul Winner

JimiTime wrote: »

Amazingly enough, I witnessed this first hand yesterday. I was on the M-50 returning home from work, and the snowfall was causing havoc. A van was stuck up ahead. Wheel spinning and going nowhere. It was doing it for a while, until one person stopped looking and went to give him a push. All of a sudden, lots were out of their cars, pushing numerous vans further up the motorway all sparked by one person kicking it off. Small I know, but it certainly is contagious.

People are nicer in recessions

sorella

Posts like this merit no reply. And will get none.

We bless your journey,

Soul Winner wrote: »

For those of us not as astute as others around here and who fail miserably in picking up on your witty remarks, would you mind elaborating your point please?

I’ll give you a hand shall I?

1. Say what it is you actually want to say. Plain English would be nice.
2. Explain what you actually mean, and you are free to quote prior posts to support your argument.
3. If you have a point then it will be conceded. If not then you’ll just look a bit silly (it's not the end of the world), but for God’s sake stop hiding behind childish remarks and say what it is you want to say, other than that just say nothing at all.

Soul Winner

sorella wrote: »

Posts like this merit no reply.

And yet you found in your heart to give me one. Thanks.

Húrin

JimiTime wrote: »

Amazingly enough, I witnessed this first hand yesterday. I was on the M-50 returning home from work, and the snowfall was causing havoc. A van was stuck up ahead. Wheel spinning and going nowhere. It was doing it for a while, until one person stopped looking and went to give him a push. All of a sudden, lots were out of their cars, pushing numerous vans further up the motorway all sparked by one person kicking it off. Small I know, but it certainly is contagious.

In these litigious times should we expect prosecutions for breaking the law of no pedestrians on motorways?

sorella wrote: »

Nice evasions.

Blessings

how do you mean? His answer did not seem to be evading anything.

JimiTime

Húrin wrote: »

In these litigious times should we expect prosecutions for breaking the law of no pedestrians on motorways?

Ha ha, believe it or not, it crossed my mind. A Garda car passed us, and I thought, 'just imagine he went with the letter of the law?'. They didn't stop though, probably didn't want to get their hands cold:)

Puck

sorella wrote: »

Nice evasions.

Blessings

What evasions exactly?