Re: Verse reading–Luke 16:19-31 (day seven)
“One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. -Luke 18:22-23
“For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” -Luke 18:25
For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. -1 Timothy 6:10
A simple concept exceedingly complex in practice. Amoral monies unwittingly transform us into nasty devils. With $3 in our bank account we battle pride, greed, gluttony, and selfishness in a single second. This whiff of independence causes most to fall, all the while Jesus whispers
Be on guard
affluence is steering you away
from your God.
I am fortunate to see at the personal level from both sides of affluence! I must agree with Pastor Don that wealth is not the issue as I listened to his Sermon today. How one uses his or her wealth is the question. The choices and consequences of financial management and applications and financial decisions are at stake here.
I witnessed for myself since childhood as well as have learned through generations that affluence with wisdom for God will last and would extend to future generations, but affluence with craving in to Satan’s demands will be destructive and the destruction will spread for generations to come.
I have seen good stewards of God’s wealth and continued blessings for generations; but I have also seen bad or poor choices in financial management, and the consequences of those poor choices are beyond reasonable measures.
The choices and consequences go hand-in-hand! Affluence for earthly joy is destructive; affluence for eternal joy is what we should aim for. I am convinced that those who have wealth and focus on eternity will continue to enjoy their affluence for many generations to come. We all are accountable for God’s wealth and resources, and we should take the stewardship responsibility of God’s wealth seriously!