not Club Med

1 Corinthians 12:23b I have worked harder,
   been put in prison more often,
   been whipped times without number,
   and faced death again and again.

24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.

25 Three times I was beaten with rods.
   Once I was stoned.
   Three times I was shipwrecked.
   Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.

26 I have traveled on many long journeys.
   I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers.
   I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles.
   I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas.
   And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.

27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights.
   I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food.
   I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

  28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.29 Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?

  30 If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. 31 God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying.

32 When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me. 33 I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him.

What can we glean from this?

We here in America think that follow Christ will usher us into the American dream - iow, if we're Christians, we're supposed to have thousands of square feet in our homes, 2 SUV's in the garage, plenty of everything, & a fairly prosperous life - like I said, the American dream.

I'm sorry, but I don't find indicated in the Bible that that will be the case. In fact, it will be the opposite.

It would be easy to say that this was at the beginning of Christianity, in pagan Rome. But look at the lives of saints since then, up to, & including, now in the 21st century. Being a Christ follower does not guarantee a plush lifestyle.

But that is what so many of us think it should be.

And many of us would think, or say, "But God may want us to have plenty of money so we can bless others."

If I hear that many more times, I think I'm gonna spit up

It's just self justification, rationalizing, and / or a cop out.

Remember one thing - there are far more people around you who do not have any connection with God at all.

We know what that means for them when they die.

And remember one other thing - forever is a VERY long time.


So, what are we supposed to do?

Ask Him. And then listen to what He says.

Just be prepared for the answer.