9 steps to identify with the developing world

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1. take out the furniture: leave a few old blankets, a kitchen table, maybe a wooden chair. You've never had a bed, remember?

2. throw out your clothes. Each person in the family may keep the oldest suit or dress, a shirt or blouse. The head of the family has the only pair of shoes.

3. all kitchen appliances have vanished. Keep a box of matches, a small bag of flour, some sugar and salt, handful of onions, additional dried beans. Rescue the moldy potatoes from the garbage can: those are tonight's meal.

4. dismantle the bathroom, shut off the running water, take out the wiring and the lights and everything that runs by electricity.

5. take away the house and move the family into the tool shed.

6. no more postman, fireman, government services. The two-classroom school is three miles away, but only two of your seven children attend anyway, and they walk.

7. throw out your bank books, stock certificates, pension plans, insurance policies. You now have a cash hoard of $5.

8. get out and start cultivating your three acres. Try hard to raise $300 in cash crops because your landlord wants one-third and your moneylender 10 percent.

9. find some way for your children to bring in a little extra money so you have something to eat most days. But it won't be enough to keep bodie's healthy--so lop off 20 to 30 years of your life.

Think about this and be thankful!

Think harder and be generous to others!

Think even harder and ask yourself how much this prosperity may affect your Christian walk!

"But godliness is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang. But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness... Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed."

(1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19)

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