Blessed as Opposed to Privileged

These days the word 'privileged' gets thrown around a lot. So much that when I hear it, I automatically grimace. In many ways it has turned into an insult. "You don't get to hold such and such an opinion because you're privileged, and if you should hold it, you better just keep your mouth shut because you don't understand because you're privileged."

And, in most eyes, I'd suspect they do see me as privileged. I was raised by two parents in a loving home surrounded with brothers and sisters and extended family who all loved Jesus. I always had clothing to wear, food to eat, some place to sleep. We lived in a safe neighborhood. I'm as white as they come (pretty much as white as a vampire) so I never had to experience racism. Or any persecution for my beliefs. I was given a good education and have had no shortage of opportunities should I wish to continue my education. People would probably think I'm some sort of privileged to still be living with my parents and not having to spend money on all those little (or not so little) expenses yet.

I'm exactly the sort of person the word 'privileged' would be used for. The two things keeping that insult from being full-blown is the fact I'm a woman and I don't live in some two-story house and have a car my parents bought me.

I don't like that word, however fitting it may seem. It's probably just because of the way people maliciously use it, but the cringe is still there and probably always will be.

Here's the thing: I know I've got it incredibly good, but I don't view myself privileged. I view myself as blessed.

Privileged is the word used for people who have been given much or seemed to have been given much in life. There's no reasoning to why they have more in life. It's just the way it is. And so you should feel guilty. You should feel guilty for having it better than other people. And that guilt drives you to do things for other people.

Viewing yourself as blessed is different because when I think of myself as blessed, I have a clear idea of who I have been blessed by.  I don't have all these things to be thankful for and no one to be thankful to. I know who the Giver of all good things (EVERY. SINGLE. THING = Friendships, family, pets, trees, houses, beds, soft blankets, hot chocolate, gardens...) is. I know everything of worth in my life has been given to me, not because I am someone wonderful or someone deserving of this 'special attention', but because He is gracious and merciful.

When we are blessed, we don't help others from guilt, we help them because we have been called to. It's part of the reason we were given what we have been given. It's not something to separate us from others who don't have everything we have. It's part of our strengths so that when we all come together, we show each other some different part of God's character and love.

Just because someone is blessed or 'privileged' in the eyes of another doesn't mean they are without understanding. Or trouble or worries or sorrows. Or compassion.

Frankly I don't understand why I have been blessed. I don't know why other people don't get these things that I have been given. These are the wonderings that only God knows the answer to, but having been blessed, I am left small and humbled and overwhelmed because 'for unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more' (Luke 12:48, KJV).

What do you think?