“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” — Luke 12:21
Through the years, I’ve never had a lot of wealth. It never really bothered me because I had enough money for burritos, and enough to take my wife on modest dates. I didn’t care all that much that we didn’t have “two nickels to rub together” to make our lives what they were. There was a sweetness in not having a lot of money.
However, as I have gotten older, I’ve noticed how easy it is for me (and others around me) to become easily distracted by wealth. I hear people’s conversations about “not having enough wealth” or “waiting until they have more wealth”. Or, they think back on the hard days when they had “no wealth.”
Jesus often spoke about money and how it can affect our hearts. He was so right. How easily we store up earthly wealth without thinking much at all about our spiritual wealth.
Please, don’t get me wrong. If you are blessed with earthly wealth, that’s not a bad thing at all. In fact, Jesus’ ministry was often furthered by the wealth of His followers. Certainly, one can be wealthy and have a rich relationship with God. If you are a person who has great earthly resources and you are a follower of Jesus, praise Him for this. That is so awesome.
Hoping to Highlight
What I hope to highlight here is not whether someone has wealth or not. Or, whether having it is a good or bad thing. I simply want to highlight how distracting the desire for wealth can be.
Men and women, our world is driven by the accumulation and spending of money. Most of our days are spent working for it. Our kids go through school in the hopes that one day they’ll have the skills to work for a “comfortable future.” We dedicate so much of our time to these things.
Christian, do not be sidetracked. In the midst of our busy, daily lives, we have an opportunity to pour into a relationship with God. A relationship that never spoils or fades. Let’s spend time approaching Jesus in praise and prayer, asking to know Him more. Our wealth can be used to help churches further the Kingdom of Jesus — throughout the world. We can anonymously give gifts to single moms or children — those who need help. Likewise, we can use our skills to serve and bless others.
Recently, my wife and I set aside money for our kids to be generous. We’ll ask them, “How can we bless someone else today?” or “Have you heard of any needs that God might use you to help with?”
Our prayer is that Jesus would foster a generous spirit in them — one that builds a rich relationship with Him.
In conclusion, let’s allow the Lord to use us to bless others. Let’s ask Him to grow our relationship with Him! We shouldn’t miss out on the eternal, unending, never breaking, never-fading joy that comes by not allowing the wealth of this world to consume us.
Rich in Him,
Posted in A Word from the Pastor