{"id":611,"date":"2017-02-01T02:21:17","date_gmt":"2017-02-01T02:21:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?p=611"},"modified":"2017-02-01T02:21:17","modified_gmt":"2017-02-01T02:21:17","slug":"god-blessed-us-reason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2017\/02\/god-blessed-us-reason.html","title":{"rendered":"God Has Blessed Us for A Reason"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Grand<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026From everyone to whom much as been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.\u201d Luke 12: 48<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As our country enters a new era of isolationist policies, I’ve been giving thought to Jesus\u2019 words from Luke 12:48. We, as a country, have been given a lot.\u00a0 Our natural wonders, from the Grand Canyon to the Rocky Mountains to the Hawaiian Islands, are some of the most beautiful on earth.\u00a0 We have an interesting citizenry.\u00a0 We aren\u2019t a boring, homogenous group of folks, with the same skin tone, hair color and language.\u00a0 Instead, we are a diverse land of immigrants, with varied experiences, appearances and points of view.\u00a0 And we have had the wisdom to allow each other to live freely.\u00a0 So, we are free to practice our respective religions, speak publicly about the things matter to us, and love and marry whoever we choose.\u00a0 There is no other country who is as blessed as we are.<\/p>\n

But we\u2019ve been blessed for a reason: To help humanity. We are responsible to help those who are persecuted.\u00a0 We are responsible to help those who are abused.\u00a0 We are responsible to help the poor, the homeless and the scared.\u00a0 God did not bless us to hoard our blessings like small children hoard toys.<\/p>\n

By not opening our doors to refugees, we miss the point. We\u2019ve been given so much, so that we in turn have the ability to help others.\u00a0 If we don\u2019t do that, we\u2019ve failed to meet our God-given responsibility.<\/p>\n

This concept holds true for us as a nation, and for us as individuals. If God has entrusted you with more than you need, it is because He is expecting you to use your wealth, power or influence to help others.\u00a0 If God has endowed you with intellect or a certain talent, He similarly is expecting you to use those gifts to be a benefit to others.\u00a0 In short, with God\u2019s blessings come responsibilities.<\/p>\n

This week, you might take some time to consider how we, as Americans, have been blessed. And you might consider how you, individually, have been blessed.\u00a0 Then ask yourself, \u201cWould God consider Americans to be good stewards of the gifts that we have been given?\u00a0 Are we using our gifts to care for the poor and vulnerable?\u00a0 Are we making the world a more just and peaceful place?\u201d\u00a0 Ask yourself, \u201cWould God consider me to be a good steward of the gifts that I have been given?\u00a0 Am I using my resources and talents to bless others?\u201d\u00a0 These are tough questions.\u00a0 We tend to want to limit our personal obligations to our families.\u00a0 As a country, we tend to want to take care of only those who are bona fide U.S. citizens.\u00a0 But because God has blessed us so abundantly, He calls us to do more.\u00a0 He calls us to serve the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201c\u2026From everyone to whom much as been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.\u201d Luke 12: 48 As our country enters a new era of isolationist policies, I’ve been giving thought to Jesus\u2019 words from Luke 12:48. We, as a country, have…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nGod Has Blessed Us for A Reason - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2017\/02\/god-blessed-us-reason.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"God Has Blessed Us for A Reason - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201c\u2026From everyone to whom much as been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.\u201d Luke 12: 48 As our country enters a new era of isolationist policies, I’ve been giving thought to Jesus\u2019 words from Luke 12:48. 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