According to CNNMoney, it only takes $34,000 per person to be among the richest 1% of the people in the world. That figure is after taxes. So a family of four would have to earn $136,000 to be in that category. And, it seems that half of these rich folks live in the U.S. Some 29 million of us Americans are the richest people on earth.

Thinking about the much discussed “middle class,” we should note that the global middle class lives on just $1,225 a year. In point of fact, even the absolute poorest 5% of Americans are better off than a whooping two thirds of the entire world!

Francis Chan remarks in his book, Crazy Love,” Do you realize that if you make $4000 a month, you automatically make one hundred times more that the average person on the planet?”

And yet, how many times have you or someone in your family thought or remarked, “We are broke”? Or having said no to a request by your children you hear them whine, “We are so poor.”
But the truth is God’s kids are very rich! And not just financially.

Maybe this week is an excellent time to remind ourselves of the multitude of blessings we all have in Christ. We have everything we need (not necessarily want).

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” (II Peter 1:3)

And as the Lord provides for us, we need to make sure and remember and give Him the credit for the blessings.

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generation forever and ever.” (Eph. 3:20)

Gratitude should be the response we all make to His blessings. We have so much. We deserve so little. We are blessed through His son. Internalizing these truths will give us perspective for the week.

By His Grace and for His Glory,
Sherry L. Worel