May 1, 2001
Both the business world and personal self-help guides tell us we must evaluate or order our priorities but only in the last few decades has the word ‘priority’ been used in the plural. In the same way ‘unique’ expresses one of a kind, priority is a singular word.
If a person can only have one priority and someone gave us a ‘priority quiz,’ what would be at the top of the list? The boss says your job. The spouse says your family. The halls of learning say your education. The banks say your money. The Jones’ look at your house or car. Most people say ‘me’ putting ‘old number one’ in first place. The Bible consistently exhorts us to put God first. The first of the Ten Commandments says: “I am the Lord your God . . . you shall have no other gods before me.”
I know what another priority might look like. Those who put their work first spend up to twenty hours a day doing, thinking, breathing their job. Those who put their family first turn down anything that conflicts with family responsibilities and commitments.
But what does putting God first look like? Does that mean being in church two times on Sunday and at least twice more during the week? Does it mean putting 90% of your income in the offering plate? Does it mean leaving your home and family to serve God on the mission field? If He is first, do we settle for an old Chevy and Value Village clothes?
Scripture supports some of those ideas but other passages shoot them down. For one thing, God is not interested in ‘religious exercises’ done without love for Him. He berated Old Testament Israel for their empty worship and sacrifices because their hearts were far from Him. The New Testament also warns against a form of religion. Jesus talked about those who piously prayed on street corners or who gave money but did it only “be seen of men.” These religious practices were not pleasing to God.
A better example of what it means to put God first comes from Jesus’ sermon on the mount in the New Testament book of Matthew. Near the end of chapter six, He says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness . . .”
The first thing in our lives, our priority, is that we seek, discover and explore the things of God. He wants us to find and practice His goodness (as opposed to our own) all our lives. Jesus adds that “. . . all these things will be added” meaning the food, clothing and other necessities that tend occupy far too much of our focus.
Yes, God also asks that we spend time with His people. He also asks that we be generous regarding the financial needs of others. He may even ask us to become missionaries in some far-flung place, but if the priority is right, we will not be afraid of the conditions that fall under it.
God, I know that many people are afraid of putting You first. They are afraid they will no longer enjoy life or be able to do anything meaningful. What they do not realize is that You are the author of joy and the only one who can bestow true and lasting significance. Help each of us seek You and Your kingdom. Help us discover that when You are our priority, we will have the richest and most significant life possible.
Showing posts with label seek God first. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seek God first. Show all posts
Monday, March 12, 2018
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Our deepest needs .......... Parables 673
June 6, 2000
Ramona (not her real name) started drinking as a young adult. She wanted to be an important person and thought she was not. This plus other challenges overwhelmed her. Alcohol provided an escape — for a little while.
She married late. Her husband was not the easiest man to live with and she felt it was her fault. Her drinking continued. They had two children who were her constant delight, but as they grew, being a wife and mother became less fulfilling. She wanted to be more important, to be wealthy and included in an upper income social group. She tried to buy her way up but her expensive taste and extravagant spending put a strain on the family budget and her marriage. Both fell apart.
Ramona was forced to find a part time job. It was barely adequate. Her increasing need to belong and to impress people demanded more money. Finally, she figured out a way to “borrow” it from her employer. She was caught, prosecuted, and convicted. Most people think that the Bible says money is the root of all evil, but the actual quote is: “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” In Ramona’s case, that love destroyed her health, and her marriage and family.
Also, that love of money had a root of its own. Ramona needed to feel accepted and significant. She mistakenly thought both these needs could be satisfied by other people and when they were not, the second mistake was trying to use money to gain the recognition she craved.
Money is not the only thing we latch on to as the answer to these two human needs. Some think being attractive will do it. Leaf through any women’s magazine and look at the advertising. Nearly all of it appeals to a desire to be beautiful. That should make us more important.
Another ticket to acceptance and significance is achievement. It will buy applause, awards, a raise in pay, an increase in status, even a page in Who’s Who. This works at least for some people. But then we hear stories from athletes or the wealthy telling how their fame and fortune brings only fleeting blessings.
Despite the stories, Ramona felt money would fix her problem. Others would say all they need is a better body, a higher score, a more prestigious job, something more or better — and that would be enough to make to give them that sense of acceptance and significance they are looking for; however, God says not. He says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death.”
What looks like it will work is not what will work. Not everyone will wind up in jail like Ramona, but pursuing money, beauty, fame, or any temporary status can only provide a temporary sense of significance. Wouldn’t we rather have something permanent?
Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” While He was talking about food and clothing, the principle applies to far more. God is eager to give us all we need. We block Him from doing it by our futile search to find it everywhere else but in Him. Only God loved us “while we were still sinners” and only God gave us significance by sending His Son to die in our place. We do not have to work for, or do anything, to gain that kind of divine acceptance and status. Both come from His love and from the price tag He placed on our lives.
Whatever might happen to our finances, fame or face, how God feels about us and what He has done for us will never change. It is in Christ that we can find that lasting sense of being loved and valued. He invites us to turn away from the folly of seeking it elsewhere and know the freedom of finding it in Him.
Ramona (not her real name) started drinking as a young adult. She wanted to be an important person and thought she was not. This plus other challenges overwhelmed her. Alcohol provided an escape — for a little while.
She married late. Her husband was not the easiest man to live with and she felt it was her fault. Her drinking continued. They had two children who were her constant delight, but as they grew, being a wife and mother became less fulfilling. She wanted to be more important, to be wealthy and included in an upper income social group. She tried to buy her way up but her expensive taste and extravagant spending put a strain on the family budget and her marriage. Both fell apart.
Ramona was forced to find a part time job. It was barely adequate. Her increasing need to belong and to impress people demanded more money. Finally, she figured out a way to “borrow” it from her employer. She was caught, prosecuted, and convicted. Most people think that the Bible says money is the root of all evil, but the actual quote is: “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” In Ramona’s case, that love destroyed her health, and her marriage and family.
Also, that love of money had a root of its own. Ramona needed to feel accepted and significant. She mistakenly thought both these needs could be satisfied by other people and when they were not, the second mistake was trying to use money to gain the recognition she craved.
Money is not the only thing we latch on to as the answer to these two human needs. Some think being attractive will do it. Leaf through any women’s magazine and look at the advertising. Nearly all of it appeals to a desire to be beautiful. That should make us more important.
Another ticket to acceptance and significance is achievement. It will buy applause, awards, a raise in pay, an increase in status, even a page in Who’s Who. This works at least for some people. But then we hear stories from athletes or the wealthy telling how their fame and fortune brings only fleeting blessings.
Despite the stories, Ramona felt money would fix her problem. Others would say all they need is a better body, a higher score, a more prestigious job, something more or better — and that would be enough to make to give them that sense of acceptance and significance they are looking for; however, God says not. He says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death.”
What looks like it will work is not what will work. Not everyone will wind up in jail like Ramona, but pursuing money, beauty, fame, or any temporary status can only provide a temporary sense of significance. Wouldn’t we rather have something permanent?
Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” While He was talking about food and clothing, the principle applies to far more. God is eager to give us all we need. We block Him from doing it by our futile search to find it everywhere else but in Him. Only God loved us “while we were still sinners” and only God gave us significance by sending His Son to die in our place. We do not have to work for, or do anything, to gain that kind of divine acceptance and status. Both come from His love and from the price tag He placed on our lives.
Whatever might happen to our finances, fame or face, how God feels about us and what He has done for us will never change. It is in Christ that we can find that lasting sense of being loved and valued. He invites us to turn away from the folly of seeking it elsewhere and know the freedom of finding it in Him.
Friday, May 19, 2017
Ambitious? ................ Parables 590
(No tear sheet)
Alexander the Great was a man of ambition. However, after completely subduing the known world, he was not satisfied and wept because there were no more worlds to conquer. He died young — in a state of debauchery.
Hannibal was another ambitious man. We remember him as the leader who crossed the Alps with his elephants. Most do not know that the gold rings taken from those he slaughtered filled three bushel baskets. Like Alexander, his end was ignoble; he killed himself by swallowing poison. Few even noticed his death and he left this world unmourned.
Julius Caesar ambitiously conquered 800 cities, “staining his garments in the blood of one million of his foes” but he too found no lasting reward for his ambition. Instead, he was stabbed by his best friend at the scene of his so-called greatest triumph.
Napoleon, once feared as the scourge of Europe, spent his last years in banishment. His ambition and many victories did not bring lasting honor or lasting rewards either.
These men did not dedicate their lives or their ambition to God, but for people who have the outcome is quite different. God’s people may have great ambition or be less enterprising. Nevertheless, their lives have surprising results.
For example, a woman once poured expensive oil on Jesus’ head. The disciples thought the money paid for the perfume should have been given to the poor. Were they right? This woman’s oil was worth about a year’s wages. Wouldn’t God reward her for an act of generosity that benefitted many people instead of wasting it on one person?
Today, movie celebrities donate money to charities that feed and clothe thousands. Other wealthy people give a portion of their millions to people less fortunate. Jesus did not say giving to the poor was wrong, but in the case of this woman, He said, “Leave her alone. . . . She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” A small and costly ambition, but she was given an eternal legacy.
Missionary pioneers Hudson Taylor and William Carey provide more contemporary examples. Respectively, these men determined to take the gospel to China and India. Because of their selfless efforts, millions of souls will spend eternity with God, another priceless legacy.
While not evil in itself, the Bible warns against selfishly motivated ambition: “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”
Selfish ambition and neglecting a commitment to godliness are characterized by wanting what other people have — even to the point of depriving them — and calling it “ambition.” In contrast, the ambition that God approves is like that of Mary of Bethany. She did not cling to what she had but “wasted” it on Christ.
So did Taylor and Carey. They could have stayed home and put their skills to making money or fame for themselves. Instead, they poured out their lives for the eternal well-being of others. Whatever they missed out on in this life, they did not miss out on God’s promises. He affirms that those who serve Him will enjoy His eternal rewards.
Alexander the Great was a man of ambition. However, after completely subduing the known world, he was not satisfied and wept because there were no more worlds to conquer. He died young — in a state of debauchery.
Hannibal was another ambitious man. We remember him as the leader who crossed the Alps with his elephants. Most do not know that the gold rings taken from those he slaughtered filled three bushel baskets. Like Alexander, his end was ignoble; he killed himself by swallowing poison. Few even noticed his death and he left this world unmourned.
Julius Caesar ambitiously conquered 800 cities, “staining his garments in the blood of one million of his foes” but he too found no lasting reward for his ambition. Instead, he was stabbed by his best friend at the scene of his so-called greatest triumph.
Napoleon, once feared as the scourge of Europe, spent his last years in banishment. His ambition and many victories did not bring lasting honor or lasting rewards either.
These men did not dedicate their lives or their ambition to God, but for people who have the outcome is quite different. God’s people may have great ambition or be less enterprising. Nevertheless, their lives have surprising results.
For example, a woman once poured expensive oil on Jesus’ head. The disciples thought the money paid for the perfume should have been given to the poor. Were they right? This woman’s oil was worth about a year’s wages. Wouldn’t God reward her for an act of generosity that benefitted many people instead of wasting it on one person?
Today, movie celebrities donate money to charities that feed and clothe thousands. Other wealthy people give a portion of their millions to people less fortunate. Jesus did not say giving to the poor was wrong, but in the case of this woman, He said, “Leave her alone. . . . She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” A small and costly ambition, but she was given an eternal legacy.
Missionary pioneers Hudson Taylor and William Carey provide more contemporary examples. Respectively, these men determined to take the gospel to China and India. Because of their selfless efforts, millions of souls will spend eternity with God, another priceless legacy.
While not evil in itself, the Bible warns against selfishly motivated ambition: “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”
Selfish ambition and neglecting a commitment to godliness are characterized by wanting what other people have — even to the point of depriving them — and calling it “ambition.” In contrast, the ambition that God approves is like that of Mary of Bethany. She did not cling to what she had but “wasted” it on Christ.
So did Taylor and Carey. They could have stayed home and put their skills to making money or fame for themselves. Instead, they poured out their lives for the eternal well-being of others. Whatever they missed out on in this life, they did not miss out on God’s promises. He affirms that those who serve Him will enjoy His eternal rewards.
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.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
You cannot out-give God .............. Parables 300
January 14, 1992
The propane tank rental was due but I didn’t have the $50 necessary to avert repossession. I had been struggling to earn a living sewing and selling wildlife paintings so I could stay home to support my two small children. It was in this narrow place, a new Christian alone against threatening poverty, that God taught me a lesson I’ve never forgotten.
Prior to the propane tank crisis, I had realized my sinfulness and came to the Lord in humiliation. Mortified by some of the things I had done, I had a deep desire to please Him but I knew I could not earn eternal life — that is a gift. Grateful for it, along with the forgiveness He offered, I sought to become all He wanted and intended I should be.
He showed me His promise regarding the daily concerns of life: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. These things referred to food, clothing and other needs (not greeds). At that point, my luxuries were in a rather barren fridge, hanging in an nearly empty closet, and sitting out in the yard in a bullet-shaped silver fuel tank.
At this point, I’d not looked around and noticed there were other people prospering while I was not. Had I done that, I may have been angry at God and needed to read Psalms 37: “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way... for evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.”
Nevertheless, verse 16 of that Psalm was a truth God wanted me to learn: “The little that a righteous person has is better than the riches of many wicked.” I was learning to appreciate the simple necessities. Even though my meager income only allowed $7 a week for groceries, God saw fit to fill my freezer through the generosity of others who knew Him. He showed me I did not need to “be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine I would be satisfied” (Psalms 37:19).
In the years since those tough early days of my Christian walk, I have seldom if ever worried about having enough. God taught that lesson well — and honored His promises. My husband was deeply in debt when we were married but we paid off that debt, by the grace of God. Later, when he became a Christian, God taught Him that if he would trust the Lord and be generous with what God had given, God would continue to meet every need. We have learned that we cannot out-give God. Whatever we do to help out someone in need, God pours in the supply.
Sometimes I have wondered if this abundance will last... and God always takes me back to the lesson. He supplies all our NEEDS, according to His riches. With the Psalmist, I can say, “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread” (37:25).
The principle of Matthew 6:33 is simple: As His children seek Him (not wealth), and seek His righteousness (not some exalted human goodness but the goodness that comes from a deep relationship with Jesus Christ), He will take care of all our needs (again, not greeds).
The propane tank? Shortly after the bill arrived so did a letter from a woman I had never met. She wanted me to paint a portrait of her dog and cat. Not an unusual request but what she included with her order was very unusual. It has never happened before or since. She sent what she thought would be an appropriate payment — in advance! The amount was $52.50, enough for the pressing needs — the tank rental, and a canvas on which to put the paint!
The propane tank rental was due but I didn’t have the $50 necessary to avert repossession. I had been struggling to earn a living sewing and selling wildlife paintings so I could stay home to support my two small children. It was in this narrow place, a new Christian alone against threatening poverty, that God taught me a lesson I’ve never forgotten.
Prior to the propane tank crisis, I had realized my sinfulness and came to the Lord in humiliation. Mortified by some of the things I had done, I had a deep desire to please Him but I knew I could not earn eternal life — that is a gift. Grateful for it, along with the forgiveness He offered, I sought to become all He wanted and intended I should be.
He showed me His promise regarding the daily concerns of life: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. These things referred to food, clothing and other needs (not greeds). At that point, my luxuries were in a rather barren fridge, hanging in an nearly empty closet, and sitting out in the yard in a bullet-shaped silver fuel tank.
At this point, I’d not looked around and noticed there were other people prospering while I was not. Had I done that, I may have been angry at God and needed to read Psalms 37: “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way... for evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.”
Nevertheless, verse 16 of that Psalm was a truth God wanted me to learn: “The little that a righteous person has is better than the riches of many wicked.” I was learning to appreciate the simple necessities. Even though my meager income only allowed $7 a week for groceries, God saw fit to fill my freezer through the generosity of others who knew Him. He showed me I did not need to “be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine I would be satisfied” (Psalms 37:19).
In the years since those tough early days of my Christian walk, I have seldom if ever worried about having enough. God taught that lesson well — and honored His promises. My husband was deeply in debt when we were married but we paid off that debt, by the grace of God. Later, when he became a Christian, God taught Him that if he would trust the Lord and be generous with what God had given, God would continue to meet every need. We have learned that we cannot out-give God. Whatever we do to help out someone in need, God pours in the supply.
Sometimes I have wondered if this abundance will last... and God always takes me back to the lesson. He supplies all our NEEDS, according to His riches. With the Psalmist, I can say, “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread” (37:25).
The principle of Matthew 6:33 is simple: As His children seek Him (not wealth), and seek His righteousness (not some exalted human goodness but the goodness that comes from a deep relationship with Jesus Christ), He will take care of all our needs (again, not greeds).
The propane tank? Shortly after the bill arrived so did a letter from a woman I had never met. She wanted me to paint a portrait of her dog and cat. Not an unusual request but what she included with her order was very unusual. It has never happened before or since. She sent what she thought would be an appropriate payment — in advance! The amount was $52.50, enough for the pressing needs — the tank rental, and a canvas on which to put the paint!
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