“There was a rich man who would dress in purple and fine linen, feasting lavishly every day.  But a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, was left at his gate.” – Luke 16:19-20 (HCSB)

This is gonna hurt.  But the intention is not to make you feel bad.  Before we can move to the land of enough, we have to figure out where we currently stand.  Are we the nameless rich man or are we the poor and sick Lazarus?  Or, as is more likely, do we stand somewhere between the gate and the banquet table?

We need to look at the numbers and assess where we stand.  But, we can’t just look at the numbers.  We have to let the numbers sink in.  How much money or food or time we have is just a number.  How it affects our hearts is the important thing.  Many rush through life and give little thought to what they make and have and do.  Let’s hit the pause button for just a moment and take an intimate look at the quantifiable parts of our lives. This will take a great deal of time and effort, but it’s worth it!

Here’s the painful part.  We need to look at how our wealth compares to the world’s poorest people in order to gain true perspective.  The picture isn’t pretty. The world’s poor represent almost half of all the people alive today.  They (3 billion people) live on $2.50 a day or less.  You may have never met one of them but they probably sewed the shirt you’re wearing or made your child’s favorite toy.  In order to truly understand how much we have we need to compare ourselves with those who have so little.  There is nothing inherently wrong with being rich or poor.  It’s our hearts toward wealth or poverty that get us into trouble.  Ignorance is not bliss.

Maybe you’ve budgeted or planned how to eliminate your debt. Maybe you’ve never really taken a disciplined look at the money you make and the stuff you have. Either way, this is different than financial planning. This is looking at the numbers, the cold hard facts, and comparing them to the rest of the world. This is the beginning of setting up your budget and your lifestyle around a pure heart.  This is the first step to honoring God with your wealth.  After all, if you are the rich man with the banquet table, wouldn’t you want to know that Lazarus is at your gate?

Start by clicking the link below:

(Warning: This can never be unseen.)

Global Rich List*

Please come back and comment with where you stand among the world’s richest.

*I am not affiliated with this organization.