ARE YOU RICH TOWARD GOD
July 31, 2010
WE OFTEN RESENT THE FACT THAT THE CHURCH TALKS ABOUT OUR MATERIAL LIFE IN THIS WORLD. THEY ALWAYS TALK ABOUT MONEY, THE CRITICS OF THE CHURCH WILL SAY. MUCH OF THE GOSPELS HAS JESUS CONFRONTING HIS FOLLOWERS ABOUT THEIR CONNECTION TO AND LOVE FOR THE MATERIAL THINGS IN LIFE. CONSTANTLY, JESUS ASKS, HOW MANY STEAKS CAN YOU EAT IN DAY? ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH YOUR LIFE AND WORK AND SURROUNDINGS? WHAT KIND OF CAR, HOUSE, CLOTHING DO YOU NEED TO GET BY IN LIFE ON A DAILY BASIS. THE MEGA MILLIONAIRE WARREN BUFFET HAS LIVED IN THE SAME TOWN, THE SAME HOUSE AND IS AS UNPRETENTIOUS AS HE WAS BEFORE HE MADE HIS BILLIONS. WHAT ABOUT YOU? ARE YOU RICH TOWARD GOD, OR THE WORLD? JESUS WAS INTERRUPTED IN HIS TEACHING BY SOMEONE WHO WANTED HIM TO ARBITRATE HIS INHERITANCE DISPUTE. THIS MAN WAS TOTALLY INTERESTED IN GETTING WHAT HE THOUGHT HE DESERVED. JESUS WOULD NOT GET INTO THAT DISPUTE. RATHER, HE TOLD A STORY ABOUT A PROSPEROUS FARMER WHO ENJOYED YET ANOTHER BUMPER CROP. WHAT SHALL I DO?? HE DOES NOT SEE HIS LARGESS AS A GIFT FROM GOD. HE DOES NOT SEE IT AS A BLESSING TO BE USED TO BLESS AND HELP OTHERS. RATHER HE PLANS FOR AN EARLY RETIREMENT. HE TEARS DOWN THE PRESENT STORAGE BUILDINGS AND BUILDS BIGGER AND BETTER ONES. THEN SATISFIED THAT HE HAS ENOUGH TO EAT, DRINK AND MAKE MERRY, HE SETTLES DOWN FOR THE GOOD LIFE OF THE RETIRED GENTLEMAN FARMER. IT IS AT THIS POINT THAT GOD CALLS IN HIS ACCOUNT WITH THIS MAN. WHAT IS LIFE ABOUT. IS IT ABOUT POSSESSIONS, WEALTH, SELF, AND SELF INTEREST. NO JESUS SAYS IT IS ABOUT OUR BEING RICH TOWARD GOD. IT IS ABOUT MISSION AND MINISTRY. IT IS ABOUT WITNESS AND SHARING THE GOOD NEWS. IT IS ABOUT SERVICE AND LOVE AND CARE FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT AS BLESSED AS WE ARE. STRIVE TO BE RICH TOWARD GOD. YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING.
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