devotional for Sunday 8/19/12
President Obama recently made a statement that angered a lot of American business owners. He said that "if you've got a business, you didn't build that." He said it doesn't matter how smart you are or how hard you worked, other people should be able to take some credit for your success because they helped by buying your product or building the roads that lead to your business, or even taught you what you know so that you could be the business owner. This made people recall his desire to spread the wealth - it doesn't matter how hard you worked for your wealth, you should share that with others.
Well, there are always at least two sides to a story. It is true that we don't do things in isolation and that others help us along the way and collaborate to help us be successful, but it does take someone who is hard working and intelligent to really soar. Without all those other people, the business would have a very hard time making it. However, if we don't reward hard work and success, and sit around waiting for someone else to take care of us, then no one will want to work hard and open new businesses that create more jobs, etc, and it will all fall apart. So either extreme will fail - having no one to help at all, or having no one to start building it.
But there is another part of the picture that has been left out totally. Where do we get that inner ability to succeed and the resources to build it? From our genes, from what we have inherited? From our parents, the way we were raised, and our environment around us? No, it goes even further outside of ourselves, and out of this world:
You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. Deuteronomy 8:17-18 NIV
So it is true, "you didn't build that", not totally on your own, not just with the help of others, but you did it with God and all that he gives you. He is the one who provides our earthly resources and our ability to succeed, etc. All that we have, and all that we have made of it is actually thanks to God, which is why we say we "give it back to God" when we use it to build his kingdom. It all belongs to Him anyway!
written by Jan Andersen
I know this is some of the people whose strange values are stated in Washington. It is amazing to me how so-called leaders can think this way. Sure successful people will use the benefit of highways and modern conveniences. However, most people just use these to survive and get themselves to work that is provided by the successful people who are often under attack. We thank God for suck people who are entrepreneurs blessed by talents and intelligence to build what is needed in any country to bring that country's success.
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