We were gathered in the humble dwelling of Pastor Hassar and his wife, Evelyn, for dinner in Eldama Ravine, Kenya. Pastor Nelson Perkinson and I, along with a Kenyan pastor were their guests for dinner. As we were enjoying the meal, which was a sort of chicken soup poured over rice, Evelyn said to the Kenyan pastor, “I saw your wife the other day and she is looking very fat”. The pastor responded to her, “Oh thank you! I will let her know you saw her and send along your compliment.”
I couldn’t help it. I had to speak up. I said to Evelyn, “If you ever have the opportunity to visit America, it would not be a good idea to tell any woman there she is fat!” She explained, “Being fat here means health and wealth. It’s a compliment.” I responded to her, “Not in America. Women there want to look like you.” Waving her hand down her side with her fingers pointing toward herself, with a bit of shock she asked, “This skinny?” I said, “Absolutely”.
Just so you know, we had already met the pastor’s wife to whom she was referring. By an American definition, she would not be described as fat.
This conversation opened up the door for the Hassar to discover if something was a fact or a rumor. He said, “We have heard there are a lot of fat people in the United States.” Then he asked, “Is that true?”
As I held my hands way out in front of me, describing extreme cases of obesity, as they listened in disbelief.
With shock, Hassar exclaimed, “That’s impossible! How can that happen?”
I’d never been asked that question before. I suppose it’s just something we, here in America, take for granted without ever thinking too much about the causes. So I started by explaining that we have food readily available to us all the time. We have refrigerators in every home that are full of food. In fact, we often can’t find the food we’re looking for in the refrigerator because there’s other food in front of it! At least that’s my “manly” description. I told them we also have all kinds of candy and other snacks available at every gas station.
Then I thought about soda. I told them we have soda available everywhere we go and that when we eat at a restaurant, we get free refills of Coca-cola. When I said that, their mouths opened in disbelief trying to imagine this paradise where we live. It was, to them, as if I was describing the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey. Only in this case flowing with Coca-cola, Dr. Pepper, and Mt. Dew. Hassar looked at me with questioning eyes and without asking a question just repeated the word - “Free”. I could see in his eyes he was trying to confirm in his own mind what he had just heard.
Hassar then said, “I have drunk Coca-cola my whole life. Look at me, I’m not fat.” He certainly wasn’t. I think he could have wrapped my belt around his waist twice. I asked him how much Coke he drinks. His response made Nelson and I laugh. He said probably a bottle once a month. I explained that in America a 12 oz. bottle of soda, once a month, is a sip! I told him that many Americans buy Coke by the case, or in 2 Liter bottles, and that some people, I suppose, drink gallons of soda daily or, for sure, weekly. They could not imagine drinking that much soda or even having the money to be able to buy that much soda.
Physical obesity might not be your problem, but our prosperity can cause a lot of other troubles if it’s not handled correctly. Jesus said we cannot worship God and money both. One will always play second fiddle to the other. It’s obvious that not everyone can handle prosperity. Money gives us the freedom to do some good things. But it also allows the freedom to do things society considers within the parameters of not the best, but not horrible such as overeating. Then, even worse, money gives the power to fulfill perverted fantasies and too many use it that way.
So how do we keep prosperity in check?
Give Thanks for Everything
When we give thanks to God for all the blessings we enjoy, it keeps reminding us Who allows us to have them. I’m speaking of both spiritual and material blessings.
I remember in Kenya sharing meals that church congregations had sacrificed out of their own meager resources for us to enjoy. I said to a pastor that I felt guilty thinking about how much we have back home when they’re not sure where their next meal will come from. He said, “Don't feel guilty. Just remember Who to thank.”
The same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)
2. Don’t Allow Everything to Stifle You
I heard Dr. Tony Evans telling a story about being in Africa. He was scheduled to preach at a church and it was monsoon season. On the appointed Sunday he was in the sanctuary with the pastor. They were looking outside at the pouring rain that wasn’t going to stop anytime soon. Tony made a comment to the pastor that he guessed they shouldn’t expect too many to be there due to the nasty weather. The pastor said, “This isn’t America, we need God.”
Prosperity can easily stifle our walk with the Lord. Suddenly, or maybe slowly, the things this world offers become affordable. We begin thinking about how much we work all week and how we need some “down” time. We begin to think that life is going by too fast and we’re missing out on something. We begin to think that the church will survive without me, without us. We deserve more…. Now I can afford that trip, that excursion, those outings. They won’t miss me. After all, I can worship God anywhere! If and when I need the church, I’ll let them know. Don’t call me, I’ll call you.
I’ll just say this…if a church doesn’t miss you, it’s not their fault. It’s yours. If you’re not serving, encouraging others, smiling, welcoming, and offering to pray for others, you’re probably not going to be missed.
Sometime back, I noticed that the lights in a hall that led to our restrooms were not getting turned on before Sunday services. So I began turning them on when I arrived. Then I began to wonder what happens if I can’t be there. So I quit turning on the hall lights and guess what? They didn’t get turned on. Darkened hallways are not very inviting. I then assigned a guy to turn them on every week. It took him a few weeks to remember to do it. But now, they’re on when I arrive each week. If your only duty on a Sunday is to turn on a certain light switch and you decide not to attend, you’re going to be missed. Somebody will be in the dark. If nobody is missing you, find a light switch and turn it on.
The church in America is declining FAST. Having everything can quickly stifle spirituality.
We must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. (Hebrews 2:1)
3. Discipline Yourself in Everything
We’ve got everything and sometimes that equates to being undisciplined in their use. Overuse of food could certainly become one of my discipline problems.
Fortunately, God has blessed me and my wife, Deb, with some built-in mechanisms that help us control our food intake. I have had a swallowing problem for over 40 years. If I’m not careful, food lodges in my esophagus. The stories of those situations might become more blogs. But, in any case, I have to be very careful what I eat, how much I chew or don’t chew, and, especially that I don’t overeat. There’s a point where my esophagus screams, “STOP!”.
Deb has been given a very, very cool system. She rarely ever goes beyond her intake limit. But when she accidentally does, she begins to sneeze. I’m not talking about a one-time sneeze either. I’m talking more like a 50-time sneeze. If she’s in a restaurant and surpasses her intake level, she has to excuse herself and make a beeline for the car, sneezing all the way out of the restaurant and all the way home in the car. Needless to say, she has learned her limit and generally has a to-go box and tomorrow’s lunch in hand when she exits a restaurant. 99% of the time she stops eating long before the sternutation begins. You might think that sounds like something I made up. I encourage you to google it. Sneezing is really a thing some people run into when they eat that one extra bite.
What I’m saying is that in our cases what might seem like a curse, has turned into a blessing. In my case especially, not being able to swallow reminds me to eat slower and eat less.
But what I just described is sort of a biological induced discipline. What we need to strife for is spiritual and mental discipline like a man I know who has recently lost a ton of weight. A ton equals somewhere around 40 pounds. He recently shared a daily devotion, written by Ray Comfort, with me. It was titled “The Cool, Inviting Door”. In part, it said, “The devil whispers to us from the refrigerator, urging us to open the cool door and indulge. He wants us to forget about self-control and feed our faces without fear.”
We all know that it’s not just food that tempts us. There are all kinds of indulgences that cry for our attention, and for our participation, and, when successful, they often change our priorities. One of the quotes I’ve heard over the years is “Keep the number one thing, the number one thing.” The priorities I try to keep are in this order - 1. Jesus, 2. Family, 3. Church. I have other things I know are important to me. But I kinda think that by the time you get to number 4, it’s not really a priority. I got to tell you, keeping those three priorities, requires discipline. And it’s discipline I’m sure I would not have without the Lord in my life.
The Apostle Paul said, “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:27
I certainly don’t want to cause others to stumble because of my lack of discipline.
So here we are. We’ve got everything - Give Thanks. Be sure not to allow everything or anything, for that matter, to take priority over Christ in your life. Let’s be disciplined with our blessings.
I know this…I think I need to cut down to a 12 oz. Coke once a month.
