Living in a first world country affords us things that those living in third world countries do not have. From basic needs like food, water, and clothes, in abundance. But what third world countries have that first world countries lack is community. I used to go to Mexico every summer on a mission trip with the youth group I was leading in Seattle, WA. I would take a group of youth down there to build houses with Habitat for Humanity every summer. We were going to provide shelter for a family, but we gained more than we gave because they gave us something we did not have, which was authentic community.

I have lived and traveled to many countries around the world. Each country carries a culture that is valuable to them and as I leaned into their culture, whether poorer cultures like in Bangkok, Thailand or richer cultures like Singapore, I discovered that money does not make people happy. In Singapore they are a very prosperous island, with great transportation, a very clean environment, but people were so busy spending time making money they did not enjoy life. Then in Bangkok, where there were street beggars on every corner, and we rode around in TuK Tuk’s for our taxi, the people smiled, laughed, enjoyed the little they had.

Proverbs 1:19 says, “So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;

It takes away the life of its owners.” Having seen people who have little and having seen people who have way too much, I have noticed how true this proverb by Solomon is. Greed for gain takes away the life of its owners. But not only the greed for it, the actual stuff takes away the life of its owners. My dad said to me one time, the more stuff you have the more time it takes to maintain the stuff. Less is more Lisa. He is so right, we miss out on community and enjoying life, when we are greedy for gain. My friends, if you want to live, if you want to enjoy life, if you want to know community, get rid of some stuff and prioritize people, you will be glad you did. People are the true treasure of life all over the world.