How are you doing in growing your income, assets and life experiences?
I live in the one of the richest counties in the United States, Williamson County - Franklin Tennessee.
Today, more people than ever own land, a home or multiple homes, have a lot of stuff and have enough money to do almost anything they desire.
So here is the question:
“How does money, assets and extravagant life experiences affect you?”
The United States is a rich country. It was this way for Israel at one time. The Prophet Hosea said:
“Israel is like a large vine that produced plenty of fruit. As the people became richer, they built more altars for idols. As their land became better, they put up better stone pillars to honor gods.” (Hosea 10:1 NCV)
Sounds like the United States of America doesn’t it?
Do we find ourselves talking about possessions more than we do God? Do we find ourselves serving ourselves more than we help those in need? Do we splurge, indulging ourselves in entertainment and life experiences more than we help those who don’t have food and water?
These things and experiences can be a form of altars and idols.
I’m guilty. It’s so easy to turn our eyes away from sex and human trafficking, the hungry, the people who don’t have clean water and even the children dying of cancer at St. Judes Hospital.
Why is that? And what will we do about it?
What’s God’s attitude of our altars and idols? Hosea said: “The Lord will break down their altars; he will destroy their holy stone pillars.” (Hosea 10:2 NCV)
I think it goes deeper than owning and doing things. It’s a battle of love and relationship. Do we love ourselves, our stuff, our experiences more than we love God? More than we love others?
It’s one of the Ten Commandments: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3)
We worship what we love. We serve what we love. We treasure what we love. What do you treasure? What do you really love?
Is it your relationship with God - Christ - and the Holy Spirit? Do you treasure other people? Especially the ones in need?
Jesus said himself:
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”(Matthew 6:21 NIV)
So where is your heart? What do you treasure?
Maybe it’s time for you and me to think about what we treasure - what we worship, and what we love.
Maybe it’s time to tweak and adjust.
GOD, help us align our love, our devotion, our money, time and attention to the things you want for us. It’s easy to serve ourself. Help us instead, to love “others” as much as we love ourself. Help us to worship you more and not the things of this world. Lead us from temptation and worldly things. Please give us an eternal perspective. We will leave all of this behind one day. Help us see things the way you do. IJNIP amen ♥️
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