“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Matthew 6:24
When Jesus told the rich man that he needed to give all of his wealth to the poor in order to follow Him, the rich man dropped his head and walked away sad. Worldly possessions are sneaky little devils that never fail to lure our attention from God. NEVER. Were it not so, Jesus would not have been so clear with His words.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
It is easy to rationalize away our wealth by believing we are using it to serve God. But the numbers do not support that notion. According to a report by New York Times published in 2016, religious giving has dropped by 50 percent since 1990. Sharefaith in 2015 stated that a person making $20,000 a year was 8 times more likely to give than someone with an annual income income of $75,000. Additionally, it has been estimated that if all Christians tithed, there would be an extra 165 billion dollars to spend. That would certainly put a dent in world hunger! Not that we need proof that what Jesus said was correct about wealth, but I do believe the statistics more than support His words on the matter.
So what can I say about the mega church prosperity lie “gospel” name it and claim it messages? The feel good “big daddy in the sky” wants to bless me with health and wealth? Two simple words. Not Scriptural. It is doctrine based on following Christ with ulterior motives. Bless me. Do this for me and I will do this for You. WRONG. Christ died for my sins. If God never gives me another thing while I am on this earth, I still owe a debt of gratitude that can never be paid. How many people would actually follow Christ if they were promised nothing but poverty? How many are willing to shed all worldly possessions and wealth in order to focus 100 percent on Him? Why did so any turn away from Him in spite of the miracles they witnessed? Because unlike what the mega churches preach, His message was hard to swallow. So I say to pastors who have little congregations that do not seem to grow….cheer up you are probably doing something right…or perhaps more to the point allowing God to work in His own way without succumbing the ever present temptation of fame and fortune, a claim that the televangelists simply cannot make.
When I lost my good paying job due to my declining heath, I blew through my retirement in no time. I now live on an income that is so limited that unexpected Vet bills can throw my budget into a tizzy. But in a time when I had lost nearly everything, God raised up my brother-in-law to build me a little apartment in their garage. Now I call that providence! God is sheltering me under His wing, by having my sister and bro-in-law take me in under theirs. For that I am extremely grateful and feel I must add….never happier, more at peace and never closer to God than I am right now.
Would I have given it all up voluntarily? I think probably not. In fact I am sure I would not have. BUT….I would not give up the relationship I now have with God, having to trust Him daily for my manna…for all the money in the world. As I write this and look around at my precious little home, sparsely populated by “stuff”, with my loyal little dog at my side, I am convinced that I have never been so blessed. Truly, during my golden years when most folks have a sizable nest egg to tap into, I have very little on this earth to call my own. But that is the point because 98 percent of what I have is stored up in heaven. Which is a good thing because I certainly do not have room in my tiny house!
Moral of this story: There is far more to wealth than what meets the eye.
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