I Wanna Be Rich
Oh, I wanna be rich -
Hold on… This is not what you’re thinking. Yes, I do enjoy the finer things of life, but what I am getting at has nothing to do with material wealth. I have lately been thinking on this topic based on a song by none other than Toby Mac: Rich
“I wanna be rich in love, rollin' deep
Loaded in friends and family
I said I wanna be rich in love, rolling deep
Living in sweet diversity
Rich, Lord, I wanna be rich!” - Toby Mac
Our world and this great nation that we live in, are deeply divided by hate. The thing is, there seems to be a lack of understanding that difficult decisions and change can happen with a foundation of love. Wouldn’t it be great if love would prevail and be the first line of thought before becoming anxiety-ridden and angry with our neighbors over things that have no eternal impact? It seems like we, as a human race, have lost sight of the bigger picture and in our “live-for-today” mindset we allow ourselves the freedom to treat people however best suits our desire in the given moment. The disregard for People as human beings is astonishing, and the reality is that Jesus came to show us what perfect love looks like.
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”
We will never be perfect. However, striving toward perfect love and a lack of fear is a worthy pursuit. It seems obvious that people filled with hate are actually living in fear. Be it fear of punishment, consequence, insecurity, injustice, (you name it), the only hope we have is for a heart change. Fear moves people toward actions that they will regret. Actions of hate and discouragement. They do not look for ways to build others up or create community, but they complain and excuse away their inadequacies.
What if…
…Instead of fear and all of the baggage that comes along with it, we turn to Jesus and ask for help acting in love?
What if…
…We set aside our selfish motives and ambitions and come together with our neighbors and community to find common ground? We might even make progress growing in a positive direction together.
What if…
…We remove the blinders that continue to keep us stuck in cycles that are detrimental to our mental, emotional, and physical health, and open our minds to opportunities to change and improve?
It sounds too easy! Change always requires work, but when we look toward God and His promise of salvation and eternity with him, the work is worth it. When we have eternity on our mind it is much easier to live in love. We don’t have to agree on everything, but we can treat each other with the dignity every one of us deserves, striving first toward love.
Let love be your default response.
When we live this way, we form strong bonds with others and collect one of life’s greatest riches. Jesus is the ultimate example of love. He showed love through compassion. He showed love through healing. He showed love through teaching. He even showed love through correction. He showed love through the ultimate measure of sacrifice on our behalf, so that we could live in eternity with Him.
I once heard it said: “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
Let’s do our part every single day to not only show up for others but to show up in love. I will be the first to admit that I am a sinner and I make mistakes daily. I will, however, put in the effort to exhibit compassion and love first and when I fail I will correct my approach. We can all improve in many areas. Let’s do better. Do you ‘wanna’ be rich?
Let’s be Rich in Love, Rolling Deep, Loaded with Friends & Family!
