If we are
perfectly honest, not only are we all working for the Lord, ME! We want
to be on the throne of our lives, we want to have control of our
households and we want control of our pocketbooks and billfolds.
In other words, we want a small 'g' god that we can control, one we can dictate our wants, needs and desires to and have the expectation that, like a genie of the magic lamp he will grant us our wishes and the desires of our hearts.
Which leads to the following quote; "Show me a person's checkbook, and I show you what is important to them." Your spending habits tell more about you and your personality and desire than anything else.
Today, when you get home, I want you to do something for me. Take your check book, online bank statements or just the receipts for the past three months. Go back and look at how much you spent on YOU, how much you spent on your Family and then how much you spent on GOD. Then break that down into percentages to see what is important to you.
Now, when I say what you spent on God, I don't only mean what you put into the offering plate, although that's important. I also mean what you spent on developing your relationship with God. You know, music, cd's, books, movies, dvd's, magazines. Anything that would enhance and strengthen your connection, knowledge and love of God.
Then, how much time did you spend in the last month at work. 40, 50, 60 hours? And what were your earnings for that time. Then how much of your time was spent with your family? And how much of that time was spent in meaningful communication?
Then how much of the rest of the time was spent with God? Counting church services. And of that time, how much was spent in "meaningful communication"?
Someday, when I'm ready I'm going to write an essay that may turn into a book. It's about my cousin who died this January. I already have the title for it; it's called "Buddha and the Cross".
You see Artie was what I and the family called him, but for 26 years that he was on the Michigan State Police, he was known as Buddha.
Now, long story short, Buddha was a profane, drunken, womanizing poor excuse for a human being. But at the same time, he was a caring, devoted father, loving son and kind police officer who would help others and think of them before thinking of himself.
After he died, his wife asked me to speak at his funeral. And, as my mentor, best friend and Father-in-law once told me, "You can't preach anyone into heaven or hell. That is all in God's hands."
As I stood and began to speak to his brothers, his wife, daughters, friends and former co-workers, I spoke what I know to be the truth from the Bible. Artie could make you as mad as anything, but he could also make you break out in the biggest smile and heartiest laugh. He could try your patience and he would take the best care of you. He would get on your last nerve, but he would go out of his way to do something good for you.
He knew that he was a sinner; he knew that he deserved punishment. But he also knew that Jesus died for him. And I leave all the answers to all the questions anyone ever has about his fate in the Hands of God, who came to seek and save the lost, to provide a way of salvation not for the righteous, but for sinners.
What does that have to do with the labor of money? Let me tell you. In Isaiah 55, the Lord says, "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."
"Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you-the sure mercies of David.
"Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways' says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."
God is not a man that He should lie. Consider yourself. Consider your life. Consider what money cannot buy and seek the Lord while he may be found.
In other words, we want a small 'g' god that we can control, one we can dictate our wants, needs and desires to and have the expectation that, like a genie of the magic lamp he will grant us our wishes and the desires of our hearts.
Which leads to the following quote; "Show me a person's checkbook, and I show you what is important to them." Your spending habits tell more about you and your personality and desire than anything else.
Today, when you get home, I want you to do something for me. Take your check book, online bank statements or just the receipts for the past three months. Go back and look at how much you spent on YOU, how much you spent on your Family and then how much you spent on GOD. Then break that down into percentages to see what is important to you.
Now, when I say what you spent on God, I don't only mean what you put into the offering plate, although that's important. I also mean what you spent on developing your relationship with God. You know, music, cd's, books, movies, dvd's, magazines. Anything that would enhance and strengthen your connection, knowledge and love of God.
Then, how much time did you spend in the last month at work. 40, 50, 60 hours? And what were your earnings for that time. Then how much of your time was spent with your family? And how much of that time was spent in meaningful communication?
Then how much of the rest of the time was spent with God? Counting church services. And of that time, how much was spent in "meaningful communication"?
Someday, when I'm ready I'm going to write an essay that may turn into a book. It's about my cousin who died this January. I already have the title for it; it's called "Buddha and the Cross".
You see Artie was what I and the family called him, but for 26 years that he was on the Michigan State Police, he was known as Buddha.
Now, long story short, Buddha was a profane, drunken, womanizing poor excuse for a human being. But at the same time, he was a caring, devoted father, loving son and kind police officer who would help others and think of them before thinking of himself.
After he died, his wife asked me to speak at his funeral. And, as my mentor, best friend and Father-in-law once told me, "You can't preach anyone into heaven or hell. That is all in God's hands."
As I stood and began to speak to his brothers, his wife, daughters, friends and former co-workers, I spoke what I know to be the truth from the Bible. Artie could make you as mad as anything, but he could also make you break out in the biggest smile and heartiest laugh. He could try your patience and he would take the best care of you. He would get on your last nerve, but he would go out of his way to do something good for you.
He knew that he was a sinner; he knew that he deserved punishment. But he also knew that Jesus died for him. And I leave all the answers to all the questions anyone ever has about his fate in the Hands of God, who came to seek and save the lost, to provide a way of salvation not for the righteous, but for sinners.
What does that have to do with the labor of money? Let me tell you. In Isaiah 55, the Lord says, "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."
"Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you-the sure mercies of David.
"Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways' says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."
God is not a man that He should lie. Consider yourself. Consider your life. Consider what money cannot buy and seek the Lord while he may be found.
No comments:
Post a Comment