A family I know is living out what Jesus taught about riches. The man and his wife are both doctors. Early on, the wife left her career. She spends her time with her many children, homeschooling some, and serving in various ministries in and out of church. She was my Bible study teacher for a couple of years and I watched her carefully because she seemed to have unusual wisdom. She was zealous for the word and for prayer. She was what I wanted to be.
Arielle was invited to their home for a birthday party. I was very curious to see where this family lived. Our church has many wealthy members so I'd often visited palatial homes owned by generous, giving people. Even so, I wanted to know how this particular family lived. Maybe I suspected their home would be different. This family could have had everything our privileged American culture has to offer--fancy cars and houses, dream vacations and every luxury thought up by mankind. I already knew their vacations were always either visiting family members across the country or going on short-term mission trips. But what about their home?
The house was big and old. It was simple, plain, sparse. Nothing fancy anywhere. But it was also warm and welcoming. The birthday party itself was old-fashioned fun. Their children were boisterous and joyful, but had few "things." I never forgot this home. A family who understood real riches lived here.
Not surprising, this family left their home several years ago and are full-time missionaries in a remote country. If their hearts clutched worldly goods, they would never have been able to detach from them when God called them to leave everything behind and go out to serve him at the ends of the earth. Without ever saying a word, their lives spoke loudly and clearly where their true priorities were. I am troubled by the American lifestyle. It's bad enough I'm living it, but I can't promote it or ask God for more. My family already has too much, and I am too attached to what I have. At this point, I don't think I could walk out and leave it all behind. I like my "stuff" and I like comfort. I don't want to go to a hot and humid place or a place where people don't speak English and eat weird food, or a place with strange insects and snakes. Or a place where Christians are persecuted. My heart is far from where it should be.
Some questions:
1. If we are seeking financial blessing, will we still be content in whatever our circumstances?
2. How much is too much? When is enough, enough, and we don't ask for more?
3. When do our lifestyle and possessions become offensive to God when the money spent could be spent on others instead?
4. When does our wanting "stuff" venture into the realm of covetousness?
5. When does God become a means to an end, and not the end in himself?
Kenneth Hagin has a whole chapter in his book based on I Timothy 4:8. "...godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." The King James version says "godliness is profitable..." Curiously, the book of the Bible he ran with also has some sobering thoughts for us about riches. I'll end this topic with these words from scripture.
This passage begins talking about false doctrine and "men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." I Timothy 6:5-10.
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." I Timothy 6:17-19
No comments:
Post a Comment