I stumbled across an article on the news this morning about a
suicide bomber killing 2 soldiers and 10 children in Afghanistan. It started me thinking. First, the media only really cares about stories in "important" countries. If this attack had happened in America, or Britain, or here in Australia, it would have been on the front page of every newspaper and news site. Everyone would have been talking about it. Because it happened in Afghanistan - well who cares?? It won't come up straight away on any news site, not even in the world news section. You'll have to go actively looking if you want to know about it. And why?? Because those in first world countries are somehow more important, have more meaning, need more attention, than those in third world countries?? Is that it? Or is it that the parents of those children that died don't have breaking hearts as all their hopes and dreams for their kids have faded away?? Because everyone living in Afghanistan must be suicide bombers and deserve everything they get??
To get rid of any confusion, all the above questions I'm sure are utterly and totally false. There are 10 children and 10 families whose world has just been torn apart once again. They must wonder why them? Why were they born in war-torn Afghanistan to a world that isn't safe, that produces heartache, that leaves them scared and confused??
But to get away from the media and onto ourselves, what about us? Do we care? Or are we so caught up in our lives that we can't spare a thought for those who live on the same planet as us? And if we do spare a thought, do we just leave it at that - think about it for a split second and don't worry about following it through any more than that?
What if those kids were kids in our lives, our children, our siblings, our nieces and nephews? Why are we born here in Australia where 90% of the time we don't run into any danger and not in Afghanistan or Pakistan or any other countries where people fear for their lives daily? Why? Because of God's grace and nothing do with how important we are! That could be us. It could be our hearts that are breaking right now....
So what can we do? We probably can't directly help kids in Afghanistan, but there are heaps of other kids in other countries that we can help! There are many organisations that are out there helping families in the poorest and most desperate situations - organisations such as
Compassion and
Destiny Rescue and plenty of others. But it doesn't even have to be something as "big" as sponsoring a child. It can just be changing our whole mindset to our comfort and possessions. It can be next time we are out shopping and we see some new accessory or clothing item that is pretty that we really like but don't really need - it can be saying no in that situation and giving that money that we could have spent to someone who needs it more.
It could be next time you've just eaten a satisfying meal, and you could really go back and eat just a little bit more not because you're hungry but because it tastes so good. Stop - thank God that you always have enough to eat and think about those who never have enough food to feel satisfied.
Change your attitude toward comfort. Jesus never promised us that we would be comfortable in this life. It is not a requirement for life, it is a blessing! So don't see it as your right....
Change your attitude to your money. Don't think about what you can spend with it but ask God to show you what you can give away! Have an open hand and really plead with God to open your heart to see all that you have and all that you could give away! See it as His money!!
Think of Jesus who loves children and ask to have a heart like His. Ask to be changed into His image no matter how hard or comfortless that is!
And last but not least, take a moment to pray for these families in Afghanistan that they would be able to experience true peace today - God's peace that can never be taken away!!
