Friends,
Over the past several years, people have been forced to reconsider the emphasis they place on material comforts and possessions. They see friends and countrymen survive the loss of jobs and homes. They may have lied awake at night, contemplating how they would deal with such circumstances, should they arise.
It is at times such as those that a man is forced to come to terms with his dependence on the stuff he has accumulated. Has he formed a bond with those things? Has he placed his trust on his job, his title, his accomplishments, his prestige, or his credentials? Has he become so reliant upon them that he might be unwilling to give them up should the Lord call upon him to do so?
Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!”
Mark 10:23, NKJV
The word riches can be interpreted to mean many things. Of course, we recognize that it means wealth and possessions. But it can also mean the gifts that the Lord has lent us for this time on earth.
Would you give up a ministry if God called you to lay it down? Will you leave the church band to focus on your preaching, even though you are a fine musician? Will you forgo the mission fields of a far-off land so that He can speak through you at a local shelter? Will you stop leading a Bible study, even if you don't have any idea why He commands it?
These, too, are riches, dear brothers and sisters. And we must be willing to lay them down ... along with everything else ... to walk the narrow way that leads to deeper intimacy with Christ.
Be encouraged, Jose
No comments:
Post a Comment