Chapter Three

Resources and Opportunities

     The United Nations estimates that it would cost about $6 billion a year to educate every child currently not in school. U.S. Christians spend $7 billion a year going to movies and sporting events.¹⁹ Education is one of the keys to long term poverty relief.  What an incredible opportunity we have!  If we redirect some of the money we spend on movies and ball games to provide schools for those who have none, we can radically change the world.  

     But what if we choose not to? Will God say, “That's OK, they enjoy movies and games.  Let millions of children stay ignorant with little hope in life”?  

     Millions of people every year die from lack of access to safe drinking water.²⁰ The United Nations estimates that it would cost about $9 billion a year to provide safe drinking water for everyone in the world.  U.S. Christians spend $17 billion a year golfing and boating.²¹ Again, what a wonderful chance to show God and the world that we care.  We can cut back on things that are not essential and use the money saved to rescue millions of lives.           

     But what if we don't?  Will God say, “That’s OK, they enjoy golfing and boating.  Let the millions who die each year from contaminated water keep dying”?  If this sounds ridiculous that's because it is.  This illustration hits close to home.  Years ago golf was my life.  I played every chance I had and got down to a three handicap. About seven years ago I sold my clubs at a garage sale.  Some things are more important than golf. 

     Do we love God enough to cut back our hobbies to provide clean drinking water for His world?  “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me” (John 14:21).

     Maybe saving the world could become our hobby!  As businessman Phil Jemmett says of his work in a Malawi village, “If people knew what it was about, if they knew how transformational it could be, and if they knew how much fun it was, they would want to be involved.”

     For $13 billion a year we could provide basic health care and nutrition for everyone in the world.  U.S. Christians spend $21 billion a year on cable and satellite TV.⁸  

     For $4 billion we could save many of the two million children who die each year from lack of vaccinations.  American Christians spend $4 billion a year on cosmetics.

     For $3 billion we could save the half a million children who go blind each year from lack of vitamin A in their diets.  American Christians spend $3 billion a year on bottled water. 

     The examples could go on and on. We spend billions eating out at restaurants, billions on magazines, billions on junk food, billions on movies, billions living in houses that are more than we need, and billions driving cars that are nicer than necessary.

     I hope by now you have no doubt we have plenty of resources to save millions of lives, and that God has commanded us to do it.

Read Chapter Four 

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