My spouse and I recently had the pleasure of traveling to Fiji for our anniversary. Traveling from the U.S. it is quite a long flight to Fiji. But what we discovered when we arrived was well worth the nearly 20 hours of flying time it took to get there.
We have been more than blessed during our marriage to be able travel to different places including beautiful island paradises like Turks and Caicos and the Grand Cayman Islands.
And while Fiji is every bit the tropical paradise of the aforementioned islands, I discovered something special about the Fijian culture that began to reshape my thinking.
Let me start by saying if you have ever visited an island in the Caribbean or in the South Pacific when you get off the airplane and begin to travel towards your resort you’ll notice many underwhelming looking buildings and neighborhoods.
You almost begin to feel guilty that where you are going for your once in a lifetime holiday (or vacation) is at the expense of an impoverished people.
But as the great comedian Chris Rock says, once you get to the resort and they put a drink in your hand everything you saw along the way quickly fades from memory.
Perhaps that’s why those transports always drive so fast to the resorts?
But I digress.
While we were in Fiji we had the opportunity to visit a local village and truly observe how the people lived on the island.
It was quite an experience traveling to the island as the jet boat zoomed by beautiful undisturbed terrain where we observed locals playing and washing along the river.
Prior to arriving at the village we were informed of the local Fijian customs which included the removal of hats and sunglasses before entering the village.
In addition, women had to make sure shoulders and legs were covered either by long pants (or sarong).
The villages are headed by a chief who is generally appointed by succession through bloodline and a spokesperson who handles a lot of the administrative duties.
A village is made up of related families and therefore villages intermarry between each other.
There is a generational reciprocity that exists among the villagers who will pool resources together for other members of the village who have shown a particular skill or aptitude and may require more specialized schooling or training.
Most of the villagers live in modest homes and get sustenance from farming and fishing from the land. There are local schools and hospitals in close proximity to the villages, however some larger villages may have their own schools.
And while those things might sound archaic to most of us who live in a westernized society I walked away from the village thinking that the typical Fijian villager is happier than the typical American with wifi, smartphone, and daily Starbucks latte.
That’s not to bash wifi or any of the technological advancements we enjoy daily, but it shows me that happiness is not something that can be quantified with things.
If that were the case I should be a million times happier than the residents of those Fijian villages.
Studies have revealed that the largest religion in Fiji is Christianity. With that in mind how can they be as thankful to God for what they have as we are to God for what we have?
Do Fijian Christians not read Psalms 1:3 and believe they are the trees planted by the stream whose leaf does not whither, bearing fruit in their season and prospering in all they do?
Is it possible that by limiting God to our circumstances we destroy any possibility to truly know His goodness?
In Christ and only Christ alone will we find true fulfillment and contentment.
Sadly, I have found myself saying I love you God, but if you could just make me a millionaire too I would be a little happier.
That kind of thinking that pervades the thoughts of many Christians prevent us from finding true intimacy with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Let’s not confuse contentment with complacency or the idea of having possessions with not being Godly.
I am not here arguing a sell everything you own and live in pious way to enhance your walk with God.
Earthly wealth is a great gift from God and if you have it or feel God has put you in a place to attain it please pursue those courses with an open heart focused on God’s purpose.
But if it any time parting with that wealth puts you at odds with serving the Father in Heaven it would be wise to part with those idolatrous things.
Per the parable of the young rich ruler, it is not the things you have that cause you to sin against God but where you place them in your worship.
Matthew 6:25 says seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be given to you.
Could it be that a village familial structure that loosley mimics the Kingdom of God (Heaven) where chiefs are born, not elected and the family success is directly determined by the the investments sown by the older generations so the next generations can reap a harvest that will sustain their families and their family’s families provides more contentment than an insatiable appetite for temporal things?
The true beauty of Fiji isn’t simply the white sand beaches or the beautiful undisturbed terrain of the islands it is the spirit of the people that inhabit the land. People that are grateful for life and the opportunity to live it in a way that honors their Heavenly Father.
The Kingdom of Heaven isn’t a far off place we will one day ascend to, but a territory that is supposed to be established through our daily interactions with our environment, people we encounter, and our submission to hearing and implementing God’s purpose for our lives.
Could it be that here in America we are the people David describes in Psalms 39:6: ‘Hurrying about in vain for possessions that will eventually be someone else’s’?
In the end, what I realized is that the next time you’re heading to your resort don’t feel sorry for the impoverished surroundings you observe.
Perhaps the locals pity us for being so far removed from the beauty that God has put on earth because we have to travel half way around the globe just to sneak a glimpse of what they get to experience every day.
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