As if what we have is an actual indication of the kind of person we are. It’s disgusting that people will see a person driving a Ford Focus then a person driving a BMW, and automatically deem the latter as someone more worthwhile solely because of the car he or she is driving.
Cars don’t last forever. Nowhere close. Moral fiber, however…
Beth was telling me about this twitter account she followed that said people who drive a Focus, a Fiat, or a Prius suck and thus deserve to be tailgated … wait, what?! So Beth responded to this person, and I retweeted Beth’s retort with three different twitter accounts (don’t ask why I have access to so many counts. Just accept it as it is)…needless to say, this girl got the hint and deleted the offensive tweet.
Perusing this girl’s twitter a little later, I see that she has tweeted the following ridiculousness:
"It's twitter. If you become offended by a tweet then you are an idiot and feel free to unfollow at anytime."
As if twitter justifies diminishing the value of our fellow human because of the car they drive! I wasn’t personally offended, but if I’m an idiot for being concerned on the behalf of people who could be offended, then so be it! I believe in treating all people with love and certainly being sympathetic to their situations, not subscribing to some ridiculous class system where people with a “lower end” car deserve to be pestered and ostracized for no good reason!
It just bothers me that some people feel so entitled, and because of what? That things happened to go their way? Plenty of people work so hard every single day - some people end up with millions, but most end up driving their Focuses to their 9-5 job, trying to provide for themselves and their family. Possessions mean nothing where it counts. There are so many things I want to be rich in…money is not one of them. Especially not at the expense of how I treat others.
Also, we deserve nothing. So how can we think of ourselves as better for possessing something that is a gift from God? I think we should feel so humbled when blessed with something…not self-entitled.
I grew up rather…well off. Upper middle class, certainly. And not even realizing it. Then that all faded away, because money is fickle, and you’ll have a lot of it one year, then two years later, you’re hoping you stay healthy, because you don’t have health insurance and wouldn’t be able to afford a hospital visit. And what counts in those moments when what you used to have isn’t there anymore? What defines you as a person - where is your worth? If it’s in materials, then you’re screwed. You’re no one.
And I’m grateful to be in a position where things don’t come easy. To have to drive a piece of crap car until it was unusable. To have to eat the same thing every single day because I couldn’t afford variety. To be far from luxury, because it has given me a grander perspective on what really matters and what counts. You can’t see yourself as better than anyone else when you’re close to the bottom. And you can’t depend on possessions to characterize your joy or your essence.
My experiences have opened a deeper compassion in my heart. Most importantly, it has drilled into my head that God is most important. For my needs, for my joy, for my identity - everything is found in Him.
It drives me crazy, how people are judged for what they have, or rather what they don’t have. Can’t we just realize that what we have makes us no better or no worse than anyone else? Can’t we see that the essence of life is absolutely not found in what we have?
And if we are blessed with possessions, how about we stop hoarding them and give to these people who have less than us instead of judging them for it? It’s funny how quick we are to zero in on the verses about how much we love God or what God can do for us, but we seem to glide right over the verses about serving and loving our fellow man. It’s real funny.
Matthew 6:19-21
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