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I watched a video on Mother Teresa the other day. If you ever read or hear anything about this amazing woman you are always left feeling very small and insignificant. She didn't speak too much in the documentary but almost everything she said was "quotable".

One thing I thought was interesting was that she said whatever vocation you are called into you must serve God. If anyone else would have said this, it would have gone in one ear and out the other. However, when Mother Teresa speaks...you must listen. She said "if you are called to live in a palace you must serve God in a palace, if you are called to be poor and work in Calcutta you must serve God in your poverty...however you must never aspire to live in a palace or even be in poverty but merely serve God".

As this quote sunk in (I cant remember the next 10 minutes of the video) I thought is that really true? Obviously the first answer is yes and I think that is correct but in a way isnt being poor a blessing. I tend to know many more poor people who are fervent in thier trust and faith in Jesus than those that are wealthy and living in our $200,000 palaces. In poverty we become stripped of all our tangible gods (money, fame, security, entertainment etc) and we are left with nothing to trust except the invisible God. While in wealth we are surrounded by many things to place our trust in that are easily destroyed by moths. Is living a "harder life" actually easier in the eyes of Christianity? And if so...why are hardly any of us doing it then?

I think Mother Teresa's quote is absoulely true. However I also think we, in America, use quotes like that to justify our wealth. Is America really 'called' to be the place where 90% + of all the wealth in the world resides*. Are we really chasing God's calling in our lives or are we chasing worldly securities? The biggest voice in my head says "I am no Mother Tersea, I am mild mannered Andrew with no super strengths or super faith". Mother Teresa was no super woman or faith, she was no Jesus, she was merely a person who loved or as she put it "it is His (Jesus') love in action through us" (something she mentioned about 10 times in the video)

Christ's love in action through us just might be the kingdom come.

*not sure about that number but I do know its rediculous