I am rich. Like really rich.
Am I a millionaire? Nope. Not even close. So how am I rich if I’m not even a millionaire?
Let’s start with what “rich” really means. Here are the first couple definitions:
1. having a great deal of money or assets; wealthy.
2. plentiful; abundant.
Obviously the definition is subjective and open for interpretation, but I think it’s reasonable to use percentages here.
So who in the world would be considered rich? The top 30 percent? The top 25 or 20 percent? 15?
Let me show you where I’m at, where you are and how we should approach about giving…
The Top 10 Percent
That’s right. I am in the top 10 percent of the world in regards to wealth.
The top 7.22 percent to be exact…
That’s pretty rich. And I really don’t feel rich, but I do realize how much I have.
I’m not going to be too specific here, but I will tell you that my net worth is around the $100,000 mark.
I have more money than the vast majority of the entire world. And I bet you do too.
If you don’t think a $100,000 net worth is rich, consider this:
And this:
So now I think we can agree that we have more wealth than we may have thought. So what now?
How We Should Approach Giving
“The line between giving and guilt.” What does that mean?
We all come to certain points in our life where we feel guilty for what we have. And I don’t think we should.
If you’re reading this, you most likely have more than most people in the world.
In America, our homeless people live better than many working families in other countries.
So where is the line between feeling guilty for what we have and giving appropriately.
Here are some vital things to consider:
- You don’t have to give everything. Often when we come to the realization of how blessed we are, we immediately feel guilty and sometimes feel like we should give everything away. Giving is important, but like anything else, start with what you’re comfortable with. I do believe that you should give until it’s uncomfortable, but don’t start there.
- You should consider giving something. If you’re not giving to a church, charity or organization, you should consider starting. There are also many creative ways to give, but simply giving a certain percentage to a cause you believe in is a great start. Call it karma, reaping what you sow or the law of the universe, but if you want to blessed (financially or otherwise), give.
- You shouldn’t feel guilty about what you have. Yes, you most likely have more than others. Probably more than most people in the world. But that’s just how it is and there is no reason to feel guilty. Use that feeling to push yourself into giving even more. And remember that it’s perfectly fine to enjoy the things you have. When Jesus was turning water into wine, I’m sure there was someone else in the world who didn’t even have water. You can’t fix the entire world, but we can all do our part.
Giving is important and I think we all have an inner desire to do so. We should be giving. As a general rule of thumb: if you have…give.
You can always give something. Like Mother Teresa said…
“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”
Give what you can based on where you are.
How Rich Are You?
You may be wondering where I got those numbers and images above.
You used to be able to see how your wealth compares to the rest of the world over at Global Rich List, but the site is no longer active. 🙁
You can get your results based on income or wealth. I suggest looking at each one to get a better idea of where you stand.
It’s all free to use. You don’t even have to sign up for anything. And most importantly, it’s a great eye-opener if you don’t realize how much you have.
So remember these simple steps:
- Know how much you have compared to the rest of the world
- Don’t feel guilty, but feel a need to give to others
- Give generously, graciously and without limitation
For more on giving, you should check out 8 Ways to Give Directly to People in Need Without “Enabling” Them and What a Man From Nazareth Taught Me About Money.
Photo Credit: Axion23