Wealth is worthless in
the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
We spend the majority of the waking hours of our days
pursuing wealth through some form of employment. This pursuit is not necessarily
a bad thing. In fact it’s a good thing, for God has provided the job and has
gifted us with the abilities to perform that job. And in turn, with each paycheck,
we are able to put food on the table, a roof over our heads, clothes on backs, and
a bit in the collection plate each week. Work and the result of work (money) is
a good thing, when it is handled in a righteous manner. But when we start to
allow wealth to drive the bus, trouble starts to enter our lives. When we make
the pursuit of money and the accumulation of material possessions our driving
force in each day, the train starts to come off the tracks. It’s an easy trap
to fall into, especially in the affluent society that we live in today. The
message we receive each day, from countless angles, is that more is better…we “deserve”
more…we need more…we want more. But the funny thing about wealth and
possessions is that the “satisfaction” is so completely temporary. When we get
something new, it’s exciting for a while. But eventually, the excitement grows
faint and we are wanting again. So we look for something else, and the cycle
repeats itself…over and over…and we never find that true contentment that we
seem programmed to pursue in life. And when our days come to a close, all the wealth
that we have accumulated is left behind. There is not a single thing that we can
take with us. As noted in the text above, when Christ returns to gather his
people, the wealth is worthless…he is not going to be taking cash payments for
spots in his Fathers kingdom. We can’t buy our way into heaven or into God’s
good graces. It is only through genuine faith that Christ is the one true
Savior that we will be gathered up by Christ upon his return. It is only
through a belief that we are sinners, that we are completely dependent on the sacrifice
made by Christ, and that we are truly repentant for our mistakes, that we can
have ANY hope about the days after this life. Thankfully, God dishes out the
gift of salvation through Christ as a free gift through the imparting of the Holy
Spirit. Through the waters of Baptism, the Holy Spirit enables us to believe in
this “unseen” Savior. When we are washed by the water, we are renewed and
become a part of God’s family…the redeemed, the rescued, the beloved! At the
end of each day, may we give thanks to God for blessing us with money to care
for our families…and may we daily pray for the strength, discipline, and obedience
to keep money in its place, allowing ONLY the one true God to guide our lives.
To God alone be the glory!
No comments:
Post a Comment