Five Kids!?!

It's human nature. At some time, most of us wish we had some other person's life. Or at least aspects of that person's life.

My husband and I were watching one of our few favorite television shows, a Canadian entrepreneurial show where small businesses pitch their ideas in front of five wealthy investors. The goal? To capture some of their hard earned cash to make it BIG. The last show we watched really hit us. One of the budding entrepreneurs was a mother of five children in a small urban prairie city. As she presented her idea, she admitted she didn't have any sales for her product (which was socks with snaps so you can keep them together in the laundry). This is usually a HUGE turnoff for the investors. When asked, "Why should I invest in your company?", she told her story. There were no professional photographers in her city. So she put an add in the paper and advertised her services. She wasn't a professional photographer. And she didn't even own a camera. But in time, she made a business for herself, a $150,000 - $250,000 a year business! In addition, this woman opened up her own baby boutique while raising five children. Thus, why should one invest in her? Because when she makes up her mind to do something, it ends up being a success.

INSPIRING.

For a moment in time, I wanted her life. A house full of children. Thriving businesses. Five minutes of fame. And the potential to make MORE money so I could do whatever I wanted without worrying about income shortfalls and "needs versus wants".

I have been reading the book of Matthew. Slowly and not as regularly as I wish. But I am reading it nonetheless. I am realizing, once again, that what Christ calls us to do is DIFFICULT. And it is only by His mighty grace that we are able to emulate Him in even the remotest fashion. Take this passage in Matthew 19 for example:

Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

“Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. (v.16 - 22)

I grew up being a "rule keeper". Give me a rule and I'll try hard to keep it. Oh I screwed up and was punished for being disobedient. But on the whole, I wanted to be good. And I took PRIDE in being good. "Look at me," I'd say to myself, "I'm following the rules. I'm AWESOME!"

I can relate with the rich young man. I believe I would have received the same kind of answer from Christ. Because like him, I follow the rules. Also, according to global standards, I am RICH. I am blessed with material wealth. And if Christ told me to sell all my earthly goods, cash in all my investments, empty out every account, and donate it all to the poor of my city, I'd walk away sad too. I'm so not perfect.

God's Word warns us that we cannot love both God and money. I don't think I love money. I just wouldn't mind having more of it. But I think the root problem is that I want to be selfish. There are times I wish I could just blow hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on my desires, my wants, and my dreams. After all the world tells me that it is all about ME.

So what stops me? What makes me look at what I want and what my family needs, and lean towards others? What makes me value staying home with my children and attempting to live as debt free as possible instead of striving to make a name for myself in the world in order to horde more stuff? Responsibility? Partially. The eldest mentality? Possibly. Being a selfless person? Hardly, if you knew me deep down inside.

Then what?

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:23-26)

While I struggle with being like the rich man and would find it very difficult to sell everything and give it away, there is a glimmer of God's desires in my life. Not because of my goodness. But because of God's GRACE. It is impossible for me to live the way Christ asks me to live. And while part of me walks away sad because I just can't do it, the other part of me wants to be DIFFERENT. I desire to hold my material blessings loosely, so my heart will be in the right place to "sell" if God so wishes.

I really admire the young woman who struck a deal with wealthy investors on national television. But do I really want her life? For a moment, yes. But for a lifetime? No. I couldn't handle five kids anyway. ;)

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