August 24, 1999
According to one statistic, Hollywood makes 17 times more restricted or R-rated movies than it does G-rated flicks yet films for general audiences make 8 times more money. Go figure.
The obvious question is “What makes movie producers crank out reels full of sex and violence if they do not make as much money as films without them?” In a culture that places high value on making money, this is abnormal. The Bible may say “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” yet according to these statistics, there must be another root.
Sometimes those who produce pornography call it “art.” Do those who produce R-rated movies consider themselves artists of a sort? We question the motivation of artists who paint nudes. Are they perverted or not? Yet most of us know the difference between a Michelangelo and a Hugh Heffner. A playboy bunny is not the same as the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Or maybe they have a hidden agenda? The more fearful among us would say these films are part of a conspiracy to destroy the minds of our youth. We can agree Hollywood doesn’t seem to care much about what they feed into anyone’s mind, but isn’t the box office competition too keen to grant movie makers a desire to band together with subversive motives?
Does social pressure make them do it? Is the demand for blood and smut loud enough to make the squeaky door thing a motive? If that were true, do they measure demand by noise over box office receipts? Society is sending a message in money but Hollywood seems to ignore it.
Or do they care what anyone thinks? Obviously, some in the motion picture industry are not into pleasing the public. Maybe they operate under the theory that if viewers see this stuff often enough and long enough, it will become more popular and more profitable. Are they that dumb? It seems economics and popularity have little to do with this strange statistical phenomena.
Perhaps another, more sinister reason lies behind their production. Could it be that some of them simply enjoy watching their sexual or violent fantasies come alive on the screen? Could it be that their deepest urges and desires, not generally allowed in society, find an “acceptable” expression in film?
Some would say no, it is simple ignorance. If producers only understood statistics, or even the ramifications of what they are doing, they would stop. Smut and violence would cease. Does education stop a glutton from eating that extra helping of chocolate cheesecake? Or is there an inner drive far more powerful than either ignorance or education?
This is the core of our human dilemma. We have high aspirations to be artists, to change lives, to please people, to be strong against the things that hurt us, yet who of us can say that our aim is always high? Sometimes we pick the wrong thing. Sometimes we simply spiral downward into evil without any obvious motivation other than we want to do it.
We forget that the root of evil begins with our sin nature. We enjoy doing what we know we should not do. Sometimes people claim, “I can’t help it” but those who choose evil are not interested in getting help — unless it enables them to have their cake and keep their waistline, or it allows their self-expression and earns them accolades.
Jesus came offering help to those who struggle against evil, yet He understood people. He said, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Every one who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”
Money is not the main issue for those who like sex and violence. Instead, they find they can enjoy their passion by producing (or watching) it on film. Take note: these films are viewed in the dark. Also note: evil disappears if the Light is bright enough.
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Monday, October 9, 2017
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
That lover called ‘money’ .......... Parables 505
April 23, 1996
Expressing disgust at unnecessary federal expenditures, an American radio announcer suddenly blurted, “If I had a job that paid one million dollars every day from the time Christ was crucified until now, I still would not have enough to pay half our government’s deficit!”
With this protest fresh on our minds, we pulled into a roadside flea market in Florida. Cheap jewelry, old pocketbooks and assorted other non-necessities filled rows of tables. Patrons in shabby clothes pawed the merchandise. Some only looked. Others shelled out nickels and dimes, their expressions brightening as they pocketed their trinkets.
Most seemed too poor for even bargain-priced “luxury.” Perhaps buying second hand treasure made them feel wealthy. After all, the rich can hoard dispensable extras so why not imitate at least that part of their lifestyle?
Reflecting on government excesses and the spending habits of both rich and poor, it appears all three groups have some things in common. For example, all can spend money they do not have and all can waste money on “stuff” no one needs. The illusion that more money will fix everything is not limited to any class or group. Neither is that fleeting sense of well-being that comes and goes after making a major purchase. Besides all that, it matters not if a spender is rich, poor or a government committee, if you spend more that you earn, you go broke!
A fire burns beneath this urge to spend, buy and have. This fire motivates buying, selling, producing and profit-making all over the world. It is a passion for money; what one writer calls “the worship of economics.” Surely this love, not the romantic kind, makes the world go around.
The Bible does not say money itself is evil but that “the love of money is the root of all evil.” Those who attach false value to dollars are always yearning for more. They become pre-occupied with it and plan their lives based on how much money is available or anticipated. Everything is measured by categories of cost, price or profit. Virtue is lost at the toss of a coin.
However, money makes a lousy lover. It gives a sense of security to those who have it, then flies away or becomes consumed. It leaves its lovers bankrupt, literally and emotionally. For all the attention lavished on it, the satisfaction money gives in return seldom lasts beyond a day or two. Soon the disillusioned return to the marketplace, hungry for more.
Money also leaves an indelible imprint on the soul, simply because people become the same as whatever they worship. Those who idolize the almighty dollar soon become empty, cold, impersonal and uncaring, just like the coins and bills stashed in their bonds, banks and mattresses.
Breaking away from this lover is difficult. The huge national debt in Canada and the United States and the likelihood of ever paying if off fails to convince many that their infatuation is foolish. What will happen to them if economic structures crumble? Where will they turn? Will they seek comfort in the hope of another upswing? Will they resort to crime and violence to satisfy the hole in their hearts? Or will they find something more reliable to worship?
The promise wealth makes is false. Solomon had vast riches, yet called it “vanity and futility.” Instead, he and others have discovered that only the promises of God are certain. God says, “I will never leave you or forsake you... I will meet all your needs... I have loved you with an everlasting love.” The Lord promises (and delivers) joy and indescribable contentment.
As the economic idol topples, will those who worship money have the fortitude to turn to Him? Or will they greedily cling to their god and their hoarded resources — and crash along with them? In either case, God is waiting with open arms and with promises that last for eternity.
Expressing disgust at unnecessary federal expenditures, an American radio announcer suddenly blurted, “If I had a job that paid one million dollars every day from the time Christ was crucified until now, I still would not have enough to pay half our government’s deficit!”
With this protest fresh on our minds, we pulled into a roadside flea market in Florida. Cheap jewelry, old pocketbooks and assorted other non-necessities filled rows of tables. Patrons in shabby clothes pawed the merchandise. Some only looked. Others shelled out nickels and dimes, their expressions brightening as they pocketed their trinkets.
Most seemed too poor for even bargain-priced “luxury.” Perhaps buying second hand treasure made them feel wealthy. After all, the rich can hoard dispensable extras so why not imitate at least that part of their lifestyle?
Reflecting on government excesses and the spending habits of both rich and poor, it appears all three groups have some things in common. For example, all can spend money they do not have and all can waste money on “stuff” no one needs. The illusion that more money will fix everything is not limited to any class or group. Neither is that fleeting sense of well-being that comes and goes after making a major purchase. Besides all that, it matters not if a spender is rich, poor or a government committee, if you spend more that you earn, you go broke!
A fire burns beneath this urge to spend, buy and have. This fire motivates buying, selling, producing and profit-making all over the world. It is a passion for money; what one writer calls “the worship of economics.” Surely this love, not the romantic kind, makes the world go around.
The Bible does not say money itself is evil but that “the love of money is the root of all evil.” Those who attach false value to dollars are always yearning for more. They become pre-occupied with it and plan their lives based on how much money is available or anticipated. Everything is measured by categories of cost, price or profit. Virtue is lost at the toss of a coin.
However, money makes a lousy lover. It gives a sense of security to those who have it, then flies away or becomes consumed. It leaves its lovers bankrupt, literally and emotionally. For all the attention lavished on it, the satisfaction money gives in return seldom lasts beyond a day or two. Soon the disillusioned return to the marketplace, hungry for more.
Money also leaves an indelible imprint on the soul, simply because people become the same as whatever they worship. Those who idolize the almighty dollar soon become empty, cold, impersonal and uncaring, just like the coins and bills stashed in their bonds, banks and mattresses.
Breaking away from this lover is difficult. The huge national debt in Canada and the United States and the likelihood of ever paying if off fails to convince many that their infatuation is foolish. What will happen to them if economic structures crumble? Where will they turn? Will they seek comfort in the hope of another upswing? Will they resort to crime and violence to satisfy the hole in their hearts? Or will they find something more reliable to worship?
The promise wealth makes is false. Solomon had vast riches, yet called it “vanity and futility.” Instead, he and others have discovered that only the promises of God are certain. God says, “I will never leave you or forsake you... I will meet all your needs... I have loved you with an everlasting love.” The Lord promises (and delivers) joy and indescribable contentment.
As the economic idol topples, will those who worship money have the fortitude to turn to Him? Or will they greedily cling to their god and their hoarded resources — and crash along with them? In either case, God is waiting with open arms and with promises that last for eternity.
Friday, January 29, 2016
The Value of Money? ............. Parables 386
September 7, 1993
Cicero said, “There is no fortress so strong that money cannot take it.” Joe E. Lewis figured that money is so powerful that “the only thing it cannot buy is poverty.”
Both men put money and power on the same pedestal and many of us do the same thing. Who has not said or at least thought, “If I had enough money I could do what I want”?
Neither money or power is good or evil; what we do with them makes the distinction. Immense fortunes administered by influential people have benefitted thousands of needy people. Immense fortunes administered by powerful criminals have harmed thousands more. The difference is in priority: the criminal uses people for personal gain, whereas the philanthropist uses gain for people.
Even those who are not Christians recognize one major principle in Christianity is love. Love rules out using people for personal gain. For this reason, the Bible tells Christians to avoid having a love for power, or for money.
Jesus warned, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves” (Luke 22). Love does not allow power trips.
As for loving money, Paul said, “Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 3:3). Money allures people away from loving others and away from their faith.
For that reason, an inordinate desire for both power and money is an dangerous combination. Behind such desire is fear, the opposite of faith. The writer of Hebrews put it this way: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’”
According to this, the antidote to misdirected love is not only contentment with what we have, but also a confidence that God is our helper. He controls what other people do and we do not have to fear poverty, lack of power, or other people.
On one hand, those with money do seem to have power. Anyone who is afraid of people could easily assume money will take care of that problem. The more money they have, the more in control they think they are.
However, faith and love do far more to banish fear than money or power. We cannot be afraid of people we love, nor fear anything when we really trust God. In fact, true power is having the confidence that God is our helper. He is sovereign, in full control of our circumstances and “works all things together for our good.” What or who can harm those who God promised to protect?
Money, as powerful as it is, also runs up against a dead end when it comes to resolving conflicts, rebuilding broken relationships, or causing ruined lives to change. In contrast, love and faith are potent forces for change. People who live by that combination also possess a powerful ability to influence and bless people, an ability that does not have to be connected to their bank balance.
Cicero said, “There is no fortress so strong that money cannot take it.” Joe E. Lewis figured that money is so powerful that “the only thing it cannot buy is poverty.”
Both men put money and power on the same pedestal and many of us do the same thing. Who has not said or at least thought, “If I had enough money I could do what I want”?
Neither money or power is good or evil; what we do with them makes the distinction. Immense fortunes administered by influential people have benefitted thousands of needy people. Immense fortunes administered by powerful criminals have harmed thousands more. The difference is in priority: the criminal uses people for personal gain, whereas the philanthropist uses gain for people.
Even those who are not Christians recognize one major principle in Christianity is love. Love rules out using people for personal gain. For this reason, the Bible tells Christians to avoid having a love for power, or for money.
Jesus warned, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves” (Luke 22). Love does not allow power trips.
As for loving money, Paul said, “Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 3:3). Money allures people away from loving others and away from their faith.
For that reason, an inordinate desire for both power and money is an dangerous combination. Behind such desire is fear, the opposite of faith. The writer of Hebrews put it this way: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’”
According to this, the antidote to misdirected love is not only contentment with what we have, but also a confidence that God is our helper. He controls what other people do and we do not have to fear poverty, lack of power, or other people.
On one hand, those with money do seem to have power. Anyone who is afraid of people could easily assume money will take care of that problem. The more money they have, the more in control they think they are.
However, faith and love do far more to banish fear than money or power. We cannot be afraid of people we love, nor fear anything when we really trust God. In fact, true power is having the confidence that God is our helper. He is sovereign, in full control of our circumstances and “works all things together for our good.” What or who can harm those who God promised to protect?
Money, as powerful as it is, also runs up against a dead end when it comes to resolving conflicts, rebuilding broken relationships, or causing ruined lives to change. In contrast, love and faith are potent forces for change. People who live by that combination also possess a powerful ability to influence and bless people, an ability that does not have to be connected to their bank balance.
Friday, January 22, 2016
The Secret of Job Satisfaction ............. Parables 383
August 17, 1993
A fellow named Robert Orben once quipped, “Work is the recreation of the retired.”
Many retired people agree. Work is not always something you get paid for. They find themselves busier, even working harder, than when they were employed.
Neither is work always something we call “work.” Who hasn’t come home from a vacation to get some rest because they worked so hard enjoying themselves?
Most of us relish loafing but productive and even challenging work is usually more satisfying. We’d rather keep busy than be bored or feel useless. It is part of the way we are made.
In spite of that, it is not uncommon to complain about work. It can be either stressful, demanding, tedious, or difficult. But because work originated with God in paradise, it was not always a negative experience. Work actually became unpleasant because of sin. Prior to that, the first family enjoyed their tasks, made easy in a perfect environment. After they sinned, God banished them from the Garden of Eden “to work” and it would be hard work. He told Adam’s son, “When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you.”
Yet God, not sin, is responsible for hard work. He has the same opinion of bitter, difficult labor as we do — He calls it “bondage” (see Exodus 1:14).
In the beginning, Adam and Eve could take care of a large paradise. Yet after their sin occurred, one job can become too much. For instance, Moses overworked himself trying to lead the Israelites through the desert. God finally told him: “The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.” Most of us would rather share our workload and certainly need to rest occasionally.
God had that in mind when He instituted the Sabbath: “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.”
Workaholics find it difficult to rest, yet God considered a day of rest so important that anyone who put work above it should be “cut off from his people” (Exodus 31:14). Work without rest is too demanding.
Christian “work” can be demanding too. Paul said “We work hard with our own hands” and should “make it our ambition to lead a quiet life, mind our own business and work with our hands... so we will not be dependent on anybody.”
We must work hard, but not entirely for our own selves. Paul challenges us to “do something useful... that we may have something to share with those in need.”
All this implies that whether we work for a pay cheque or not, we can work as a labor of love for God. Even if we find ourselves engaged in the “recreation of the retired,” we can still consider the Lord our boss. The Bible says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, knowing you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ we are serving.”
Work done for Him, whether while fully employed and paid, or as a volunteer, or while retired, is the secret of job satisfaction.
A fellow named Robert Orben once quipped, “Work is the recreation of the retired.”
Many retired people agree. Work is not always something you get paid for. They find themselves busier, even working harder, than when they were employed.
Neither is work always something we call “work.” Who hasn’t come home from a vacation to get some rest because they worked so hard enjoying themselves?
Most of us relish loafing but productive and even challenging work is usually more satisfying. We’d rather keep busy than be bored or feel useless. It is part of the way we are made.
In spite of that, it is not uncommon to complain about work. It can be either stressful, demanding, tedious, or difficult. But because work originated with God in paradise, it was not always a negative experience. Work actually became unpleasant because of sin. Prior to that, the first family enjoyed their tasks, made easy in a perfect environment. After they sinned, God banished them from the Garden of Eden “to work” and it would be hard work. He told Adam’s son, “When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you.”
Yet God, not sin, is responsible for hard work. He has the same opinion of bitter, difficult labor as we do — He calls it “bondage” (see Exodus 1:14).
In the beginning, Adam and Eve could take care of a large paradise. Yet after their sin occurred, one job can become too much. For instance, Moses overworked himself trying to lead the Israelites through the desert. God finally told him: “The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.” Most of us would rather share our workload and certainly need to rest occasionally.
God had that in mind when He instituted the Sabbath: “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.”
Workaholics find it difficult to rest, yet God considered a day of rest so important that anyone who put work above it should be “cut off from his people” (Exodus 31:14). Work without rest is too demanding.
Christian “work” can be demanding too. Paul said “We work hard with our own hands” and should “make it our ambition to lead a quiet life, mind our own business and work with our hands... so we will not be dependent on anybody.”
We must work hard, but not entirely for our own selves. Paul challenges us to “do something useful... that we may have something to share with those in need.”
All this implies that whether we work for a pay cheque or not, we can work as a labor of love for God. Even if we find ourselves engaged in the “recreation of the retired,” we can still consider the Lord our boss. The Bible says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, knowing you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ we are serving.”
Work done for Him, whether while fully employed and paid, or as a volunteer, or while retired, is the secret of job satisfaction.
Monday, January 18, 2016
God and My Wallet ............. Parables 381
August 3, 1993
“The wallet is the last part of the body that gets converted to Christ.”
The person who said this could have been one of those high-powered, fund-raiser types who pleads for money and faith pledges with motivational ploys like guilt trips and nagging... or it could have been said by someone familiar with what the Bible says about money and about human nature.
If the first option is true, I am turned off. Manipulation designed to get me to fork over money, whether by high-pressure salesmen or high-pressure preaching, makes me grab my wallet and hold on tight.
Instead, I rather suspect the person who talked about wallets and conversion knew all about human nature. Whoever it was also knew that God speaks rightly about our relationship to money.
The verse most people know about money says something about “the root of all evil” so people sometimes call money an evil thing. However, this verse actually says, “the love of money is the root of all evil.” Money itself is useful; it is the way we feel about it that gets us into trouble.
For one thing, the desire for cash (and the things it will buy) has a certain tendency to preoccupy our thinking. Sometimes we presume our problems would be over if we just had enough of the stuff. But God’s Word says even if gold and silver increases, desires increases along with it... there is never enough to satisfy those desires. (Ecclesiastes 5)
Second, preoccupation with money interferes with our inner peace. To be fully content, our soul must rest in the Lord, think about what He has done for us, and communicate with Him (Isaiah 26:3). Continual money-thoughts disable our ability to hear His voice and do His will, something Jesus says will make us truly happy (John 13:17).
Money seems to have a mind of its own as well. Just when we think we have our financial reservoir full, it sprouts wings and flies away. By its very nature (temporary need-meeter), it is just that, an impermanent asset.
God has other reasons for wanting our wallets converted as well as our souls. We tend to think money will take care of us and thus it becomes a sort of god, but one that does not serve us as it should. Money is a harsh taskmaster and actually can make slaves out of us.
Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
God calls us to eternal assets, an inheritance that will never fly away, banked in heaven for us. This asset is gained, not by having a cash reserve but by a special kind of faith that trusts Him to take care of our eternal destiny plus all temporary needs, even the kind money will buy.
That is why some say trust in God can be measured by a person’s willingness to empty their wallet. When the disciples pointed to the rich people who gave what seemed large amounts, Jesus commended a poor widow who only gave a couple of pennies. He said, “. . . this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything — all she had to live on.”
This widow was not afraid of the future, no matter what her bank balance said. She looked to her heavenly Father to provide all her needs. Ultimately, that kind of trust demonstrates itself in a converted wallet.
“The wallet is the last part of the body that gets converted to Christ.”
The person who said this could have been one of those high-powered, fund-raiser types who pleads for money and faith pledges with motivational ploys like guilt trips and nagging... or it could have been said by someone familiar with what the Bible says about money and about human nature.
If the first option is true, I am turned off. Manipulation designed to get me to fork over money, whether by high-pressure salesmen or high-pressure preaching, makes me grab my wallet and hold on tight.
Instead, I rather suspect the person who talked about wallets and conversion knew all about human nature. Whoever it was also knew that God speaks rightly about our relationship to money.
The verse most people know about money says something about “the root of all evil” so people sometimes call money an evil thing. However, this verse actually says, “the love of money is the root of all evil.” Money itself is useful; it is the way we feel about it that gets us into trouble.
For one thing, the desire for cash (and the things it will buy) has a certain tendency to preoccupy our thinking. Sometimes we presume our problems would be over if we just had enough of the stuff. But God’s Word says even if gold and silver increases, desires increases along with it... there is never enough to satisfy those desires. (Ecclesiastes 5)
Second, preoccupation with money interferes with our inner peace. To be fully content, our soul must rest in the Lord, think about what He has done for us, and communicate with Him (Isaiah 26:3). Continual money-thoughts disable our ability to hear His voice and do His will, something Jesus says will make us truly happy (John 13:17).
Money seems to have a mind of its own as well. Just when we think we have our financial reservoir full, it sprouts wings and flies away. By its very nature (temporary need-meeter), it is just that, an impermanent asset.
God has other reasons for wanting our wallets converted as well as our souls. We tend to think money will take care of us and thus it becomes a sort of god, but one that does not serve us as it should. Money is a harsh taskmaster and actually can make slaves out of us.
Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
God calls us to eternal assets, an inheritance that will never fly away, banked in heaven for us. This asset is gained, not by having a cash reserve but by a special kind of faith that trusts Him to take care of our eternal destiny plus all temporary needs, even the kind money will buy.
That is why some say trust in God can be measured by a person’s willingness to empty their wallet. When the disciples pointed to the rich people who gave what seemed large amounts, Jesus commended a poor widow who only gave a couple of pennies. He said, “. . . this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything — all she had to live on.”
This widow was not afraid of the future, no matter what her bank balance said. She looked to her heavenly Father to provide all her needs. Ultimately, that kind of trust demonstrates itself in a converted wallet.
Friday, June 19, 2015
True wealth for all who want it .............. Parables 289
October 16, 1991
“Poverty is working a lifetime doing something you don’t like so you can retire and do something you do like... or poverty is having so many clothes, you haven’t a thing to wear. Poverty is eating so well you have to go on a diet... it is having every pill imaginable to cure your body’s ills because you can’t afford to be sick.
“Poverty is being loaded down with toys at birthdays and Christmas and then being bored silly because there is nothing to do. Poverty is having three college degrees and feeling unfulfilled in your job... having two cars, three TV’s and a dishwasher and then roughing it by going camping to get away from it all.
“Poverty is spending money on make-up, deodorants, colognes and designer clothes and still being worried about the image your are projecting...” and on it goes, so says a verse by Waitlye, Mallinnix and McDonald.
In a nutshell, poverty is working hard and longing to buy things we cannot enjoy because we have to work too hard and too long to get them!
First Timothy 6:17 says the Living God “gives us richly all things to enjoy.” So why can’t we find real fulfillment in all these things He gives us? Might it be because we put them above the true riches?
Jesus put His finger on the problem when He said, “That which men highly esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.” Our value system is often based on bigger, better, and more — usually items with a price tag and the cash that will buy those items. Many even think “I’m not like other people: I can be both rich and happy!” In efforts to prove it, they elbow aside God’s value system about money. Notice how unconventional it is...
1] JUST ENOUGH: The writer of Proverbs 30 asked God: “Give me neither poverty nor riches...” He expressed that if he had too much he would deny God, if he was poor he might be tempted to steal and sin against Him.
2] UNRESTRAINED GENEROSITY: Most of us know about the poor widow who trusted God, so much so she put all she had into the offering plate — two pennies. She knew her security was in the Lord, that He would take care of her needs. So she could afford to be generous. Because of the value system she held, Jesus said her offering was more in God’s sight than far larger gifts.
3] CONCERN FOR THE WEALTH OF OTHERS: For our sakes, Jesus was willing to leave the riches of heaven. Giving up what He enjoyed meant that we eventually could enjoy it with Him. It is that kind of heart that God values. (2 Cor. 8:9)
4] RECOGNITION OF TRUE RICHES: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God...” God wants us to know true wealth: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace...” The Apostle Paul prayed, “May your understanding be enlightened; that you may know the hope of His calling... the riches of the glory of His inheritance... the unsearchable [riches] of Christ...”
Not everyone grasps for money. The Bible commends Moses for “esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.” Moses valued obedience over being the heir of an Egyptian pharaoh even though it meant suffering with the people of God. But most people think money equals happiness. They not only put their hope in that which has wings but in something that will not fill the deepest void in their hearts. Furthermore, all the money in the world cannot buy a right relationship with God.
Whether money is elusive and out of reach, or we have a six-figure bank account, when we recognize Jesus gives joy and fulfillment, wealth loses its hold on us. Life in Christ is far richer. When walking close to Him, our hearts never feel the pinch of poverty for we have riches that truly satisfy.
“Poverty is working a lifetime doing something you don’t like so you can retire and do something you do like... or poverty is having so many clothes, you haven’t a thing to wear. Poverty is eating so well you have to go on a diet... it is having every pill imaginable to cure your body’s ills because you can’t afford to be sick.
“Poverty is being loaded down with toys at birthdays and Christmas and then being bored silly because there is nothing to do. Poverty is having three college degrees and feeling unfulfilled in your job... having two cars, three TV’s and a dishwasher and then roughing it by going camping to get away from it all.
“Poverty is spending money on make-up, deodorants, colognes and designer clothes and still being worried about the image your are projecting...” and on it goes, so says a verse by Waitlye, Mallinnix and McDonald.
In a nutshell, poverty is working hard and longing to buy things we cannot enjoy because we have to work too hard and too long to get them!
First Timothy 6:17 says the Living God “gives us richly all things to enjoy.” So why can’t we find real fulfillment in all these things He gives us? Might it be because we put them above the true riches?
Jesus put His finger on the problem when He said, “That which men highly esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.” Our value system is often based on bigger, better, and more — usually items with a price tag and the cash that will buy those items. Many even think “I’m not like other people: I can be both rich and happy!” In efforts to prove it, they elbow aside God’s value system about money. Notice how unconventional it is...
1] JUST ENOUGH: The writer of Proverbs 30 asked God: “Give me neither poverty nor riches...” He expressed that if he had too much he would deny God, if he was poor he might be tempted to steal and sin against Him.
2] UNRESTRAINED GENEROSITY: Most of us know about the poor widow who trusted God, so much so she put all she had into the offering plate — two pennies. She knew her security was in the Lord, that He would take care of her needs. So she could afford to be generous. Because of the value system she held, Jesus said her offering was more in God’s sight than far larger gifts.
3] CONCERN FOR THE WEALTH OF OTHERS: For our sakes, Jesus was willing to leave the riches of heaven. Giving up what He enjoyed meant that we eventually could enjoy it with Him. It is that kind of heart that God values. (2 Cor. 8:9)
4] RECOGNITION OF TRUE RICHES: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God...” God wants us to know true wealth: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace...” The Apostle Paul prayed, “May your understanding be enlightened; that you may know the hope of His calling... the riches of the glory of His inheritance... the unsearchable [riches] of Christ...”
Not everyone grasps for money. The Bible commends Moses for “esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.” Moses valued obedience over being the heir of an Egyptian pharaoh even though it meant suffering with the people of God. But most people think money equals happiness. They not only put their hope in that which has wings but in something that will not fill the deepest void in their hearts. Furthermore, all the money in the world cannot buy a right relationship with God.
Whether money is elusive and out of reach, or we have a six-figure bank account, when we recognize Jesus gives joy and fulfillment, wealth loses its hold on us. Life in Christ is far richer. When walking close to Him, our hearts never feel the pinch of poverty for we have riches that truly satisfy.
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