I wanted to take some time to address some personal things some readers may be wondering about. Remember that I was inspired to start this blog while in Korea, and I’d learned a lot about mistakes I made. I tried to teach a lot, and I returned from Korea to finally follow the calling the Lord had given me.
Well, I’ve been back from Korea a few months, and some may wonder what’s going on. I’m not going to pretend that I came back, and Rick Warren was there at the airport to offer me a job. That would have been cool (And if you ever see this, Rick Warren, hey, working for you would be awesome), but it’s not what happened. Currently I am staying with some in-laws in the middle of nowhere in order to make it. Ashley and I have applied to lots of jobs, both in the church and outside of it, but nothing concrete has happened yet. I have, however, started seminary, and am moving away from the indecisiveness of my past.
Some may hear this, and think it means I was wrong. I’ve failed. I’m discouraged. That’s wrong. I may not like my current state of unemployment, but I am overjoyed with the relationship I currently share with the Lord. For the first time in my life I am putting my full trust in Him, and I know He won’t let me down. Money, the American employment system, and place will not stop me from serving Him. Nothing will stop me from trusting Him.
Do I know what the future holds? No. I don’t have to. I serve a God who knows that. He’s gotten me this far, and I know He’s going to lead me to a ministry that will bring many lost people of this world to Him. Even in this current position I’m in I know He’s guiding me. If I or Ashley gets some great job in a church I know He guided us there. If we get some job in a school, a business, the military, a park, or anywhere I know He guided us there. Even if it comes to me and Ashley having to go overseas again I know he guided us there. We accomplished a lot of good things we needed to in coming back, and if we had to leave again it would be for good, and not for evil. It would be so we could fulfill the calling He’s given to us, and not to run away as before. I may not know what’s going to happen right now, but I know I can trust Him.
I reveal all this because I know there are other people in this world who have put their trust in the Lord, and are still not sure where He’s leading them. Don’t get discouraged. Keep following Him. Keep trusting Him. He will never lead you astray.
UPDATE: The day after I wrote this Ashley got a job in Charlotte. We are now actively serving at Elevation Church, and continuing to walk toward where the Lord wants us to be. There are also some amazing opportunities in our way that I don’t want to mention too early. But they are awesome.
God is always faithful.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
What honors God
“But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:23
This ancient Psalm shows how far back a primary confusion about the nature of God goes back. When we come to Him we sometimes consider the things we need to give up, or sacrifice, of primary importance to God. In Old Testament days we needed to sacrifice some sort of animal, and now we need to give up money, relationships, and some things we consider fun for God. God makes it clear over and over again, however, that sacrifice is not what He desires from us; it’s thanks.
Further back in this same Psalm God elaborates on why it is sacrifices don’t have as large of an impact on him as thanks. Verse 12 says:
“If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.”
God doesn’t need our stuff. It’s already His. The sacrifices we make were never because God needed it. The sacrifices have always been about our need. We need God, but we are fallen. In our fallen state we are unable to relate to our perfect God, and therefore we make sacrifices to make it possible. Unfortunately, we cannot make it possible. God had to come to us as He did with Abraham, and God had to make the sacrifice with the life of Jesus Christ so that we could be redeemed. God made the sacrifice. He was the sacrifice. We need to be thankful.
The sacrifice that truly honors the Lord is keeping to His path. Following what He’s taught us, and living according to His will is how we honor Him. We praise Him by living how He’s taught us to live. Not by giving up stuff. He doesn’t need that. It’s already His anyway. Instead we should use the things He’s blessed us with as tools to help us in our walk with Him. We can use our money as a blessing to others, our knowledge to save, and our strength to lift up those who are weak. We can shine as examples for Jesus Christ. We can be a light in dark places. We can give God the glory for everything, and in that we truly honor Him.
This ancient Psalm shows how far back a primary confusion about the nature of God goes back. When we come to Him we sometimes consider the things we need to give up, or sacrifice, of primary importance to God. In Old Testament days we needed to sacrifice some sort of animal, and now we need to give up money, relationships, and some things we consider fun for God. God makes it clear over and over again, however, that sacrifice is not what He desires from us; it’s thanks.
Further back in this same Psalm God elaborates on why it is sacrifices don’t have as large of an impact on him as thanks. Verse 12 says:
“If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.”
God doesn’t need our stuff. It’s already His. The sacrifices we make were never because God needed it. The sacrifices have always been about our need. We need God, but we are fallen. In our fallen state we are unable to relate to our perfect God, and therefore we make sacrifices to make it possible. Unfortunately, we cannot make it possible. God had to come to us as He did with Abraham, and God had to make the sacrifice with the life of Jesus Christ so that we could be redeemed. God made the sacrifice. He was the sacrifice. We need to be thankful.
The sacrifice that truly honors the Lord is keeping to His path. Following what He’s taught us, and living according to His will is how we honor Him. We praise Him by living how He’s taught us to live. Not by giving up stuff. He doesn’t need that. It’s already His anyway. Instead we should use the things He’s blessed us with as tools to help us in our walk with Him. We can use our money as a blessing to others, our knowledge to save, and our strength to lift up those who are weak. We can shine as examples for Jesus Christ. We can be a light in dark places. We can give God the glory for everything, and in that we truly honor Him.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
No Can't
I hear the word can’t a lot. Someone can’t forgive another for what they did, can’t afford to give the tithe they want to, can’t leave their job to pursue God’s calling for them, or can’t eat 30 hotdogs in one sitting (well, maybe I haven’t heard that last one). For much of the world these can’t phrases are fine. For those of us who are saved, however, they are worthless.
If we are saved we should believe that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. I can do all things. There is no exception to that. No can’t. Can’t should not be a word in a Christian’s vocabulary. We can do all things because the Holy Spirit that resides within us can do all things. Saying we can’t do it is saying God can’t do it. That would be a lie. God can do it, and so can we. We can have the faith to stop saying can’t.
Cast out can’t as a word of use. Recognize the power of the Lord. Know that He can. So can you. It may be hard to forgive someone who’s betrayed you, but it’s not impossible. You can do it. It may be hard to trust the Lord with your money, but it’s not impossible. You can do it. You can succeed in what He’s called you to do. You can overcome your insecurities. You can defeat whatever and whoever it is that tries to stop you. You can trust in the Lord, praise His name, and do all things. I can. You can. We all can.
If we are saved we should believe that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. I can do all things. There is no exception to that. No can’t. Can’t should not be a word in a Christian’s vocabulary. We can do all things because the Holy Spirit that resides within us can do all things. Saying we can’t do it is saying God can’t do it. That would be a lie. God can do it, and so can we. We can have the faith to stop saying can’t.
Cast out can’t as a word of use. Recognize the power of the Lord. Know that He can. So can you. It may be hard to forgive someone who’s betrayed you, but it’s not impossible. You can do it. It may be hard to trust the Lord with your money, but it’s not impossible. You can do it. You can succeed in what He’s called you to do. You can overcome your insecurities. You can defeat whatever and whoever it is that tries to stop you. You can trust in the Lord, praise His name, and do all things. I can. You can. We all can.
Monday, February 14, 2011
The Word
Read the Bible. We’re told this a lot. I’m just not certain it’s clear to everyone why this is important because so few people do it. If we would, however, we would understand, for the scriptures can have a transforming power over our lives. Furthermore, having a scriptural foundation can help us stay calm, focused, and right in a number of situations.
Let me try to explain how this works.
I can think about the things I want to do, and sometimes feel incapable. I can feel like I can’t do it. When I feel that way I only need to consider the words of Philippians 4:13 to feel confident again:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
These words make me confident again. If I didn’t know the scriptures that wouldn’t work. The scriptures can help out through many other types of situations.
Feel like you don’t know what you should do in life? Consider Matthew 6:33, which states “Put first the kingdom of God, and all these things will provided to you.”
Worried God won’t take care of you if you do the things He’s called you to do? Consider Jeremiah 29:11, which states “for I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Feeling jealous when someone else gets special treatment and you don’t? Remember the story of the prodigal son, and how the older brother acted that same way, and only got to miss the party because he did.
These are just a few examples. There are so many ways scripture can help us in our daily lives. Common verses and obscure verses can do us much good, and God can speak to us through the words He gave us in His book.
If you want God to speak to you in your situation then let Him speak to you with the words already laid down for us. If you want to know what’s okay, what’s wrong, what’s great, how to act in certain situations, and how to focus on God turn to His word. Keep the scriptures in your heart, and they will transform your life. These words have power. Embrace the power. Read the word.
Let me try to explain how this works.
I can think about the things I want to do, and sometimes feel incapable. I can feel like I can’t do it. When I feel that way I only need to consider the words of Philippians 4:13 to feel confident again:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
These words make me confident again. If I didn’t know the scriptures that wouldn’t work. The scriptures can help out through many other types of situations.
Feel like you don’t know what you should do in life? Consider Matthew 6:33, which states “Put first the kingdom of God, and all these things will provided to you.”
Worried God won’t take care of you if you do the things He’s called you to do? Consider Jeremiah 29:11, which states “for I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Feeling jealous when someone else gets special treatment and you don’t? Remember the story of the prodigal son, and how the older brother acted that same way, and only got to miss the party because he did.
These are just a few examples. There are so many ways scripture can help us in our daily lives. Common verses and obscure verses can do us much good, and God can speak to us through the words He gave us in His book.
If you want God to speak to you in your situation then let Him speak to you with the words already laid down for us. If you want to know what’s okay, what’s wrong, what’s great, how to act in certain situations, and how to focus on God turn to His word. Keep the scriptures in your heart, and they will transform your life. These words have power. Embrace the power. Read the word.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Meanness of Niceness
There is a popular account in Mark 2:1-12 about a time four men broke through the roof of a house to get their crippled friend to Jesus. There were large crowds, and many obstacles (including a roof), but these men would not be stopped. They had to get their friend to Jesus. They broke through a roof to get him there. Why? Because they understand their friends desperate need for Jesus. A need he didn’t just have because He was crippled, but because he was human. This is something too many of us forget today.
Our society today teaches us to be nice. We shouldn’t witness because that isn’t nice. We shouldn’t say that accepting Jesus is the only way to be saved because that isn’t nice. We should accept all things as good so all people can believe they are good. As Christians we have become weak, and afraid to defend the truth. Part of the reason for this is most of us have friends or family who are not saved, and we don’t want to admit they’ll go to hell if we don’t do anything about it. We don’t think about it, pretend it’s not true, and when someone dies we know never accepted Jesus we pretend they get to spend eternity with Him. It’s nice to think this. It’s nice not to offend. It’s also stupid.
Being nice is stupid. I don’t know of a better way to say it. This niceness we allow to exist is actually a deadly tool created by Satan to keep us from witnessing to the truth. We all need Jesus. By sitting back and pretending otherwise we aren’t being nice. We’re being extremely mean. We are deciding that it’s better not to offend someone than to save them. We’d rather let someone go to hell than speak up. We pretend things are okay when we know they’re not. We have a crippled friend, but we don’t get how important it is that we get that friend to Jesus. We instead convince ourselves our friend really isn’t crippled. Does this help? Does this save our friend? Of course it doesn't. We hurt those we love this way. We aren’t helping those we love at all by pretending a sin isn’t a sin just because we don’t want them to go to hell.
I feel like I need to make this clear. This whole idea that there are other ways or one can go to heaven because they’re a good person is not a nice idea. It’s a dangerous idea, and one used by Satan to convince us there is no real need to witness. We need to cast off this lie, and understand the true urgency of the matter. We can’t allow our own laziness to condemn those around us, or let anyone lie to themselves anymore. We might as well look at someone who can’t walk when we do this, and pretend they can walk. Don’t let anyone think it’s nice to believe everyone goes to heaven. It’s not nice. This lie does those who can be reached a disservice.
If we love others we won’t pretend their sin is okay because we don’t want them to go to hell. We won’t condemn them, but we also won’t let them be condemned by this nice lie. If we want to help them we’ll admit the truth to ourselves, and try to make sure they see the truth before it’s too late. We’ll be like the friend of the crippled man, and admit the need for Jesus. We’ll work hard to get those we know who are figuratively crippled by their rejection of the truth to Jesus. We’ll cast down the fake good thoughts. They only harm. Honesty is far more helpful than being nice. We must admit that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light, and no one comes to the Father except through Him. We must be concerned and grieved by those who will suffer because they won’t accept that truth. We must know that truth, and speak it. Speak it loud. Speak it proud. Be bold. Be honest.
We must remember what four men with a crippled friend understood. All people need Jesus. Being nice wouldn’t have gotten their friend healed, and forgiven of his sins. They had to get their friend to Jesus because only Jesus could heal him. If we love our friends and family we need to work hard to get them to Jesus. We need to stop being nice, and start being honest. We need to cast down lies, and lift up the truth.
Our society today teaches us to be nice. We shouldn’t witness because that isn’t nice. We shouldn’t say that accepting Jesus is the only way to be saved because that isn’t nice. We should accept all things as good so all people can believe they are good. As Christians we have become weak, and afraid to defend the truth. Part of the reason for this is most of us have friends or family who are not saved, and we don’t want to admit they’ll go to hell if we don’t do anything about it. We don’t think about it, pretend it’s not true, and when someone dies we know never accepted Jesus we pretend they get to spend eternity with Him. It’s nice to think this. It’s nice not to offend. It’s also stupid.
Being nice is stupid. I don’t know of a better way to say it. This niceness we allow to exist is actually a deadly tool created by Satan to keep us from witnessing to the truth. We all need Jesus. By sitting back and pretending otherwise we aren’t being nice. We’re being extremely mean. We are deciding that it’s better not to offend someone than to save them. We’d rather let someone go to hell than speak up. We pretend things are okay when we know they’re not. We have a crippled friend, but we don’t get how important it is that we get that friend to Jesus. We instead convince ourselves our friend really isn’t crippled. Does this help? Does this save our friend? Of course it doesn't. We hurt those we love this way. We aren’t helping those we love at all by pretending a sin isn’t a sin just because we don’t want them to go to hell.
I feel like I need to make this clear. This whole idea that there are other ways or one can go to heaven because they’re a good person is not a nice idea. It’s a dangerous idea, and one used by Satan to convince us there is no real need to witness. We need to cast off this lie, and understand the true urgency of the matter. We can’t allow our own laziness to condemn those around us, or let anyone lie to themselves anymore. We might as well look at someone who can’t walk when we do this, and pretend they can walk. Don’t let anyone think it’s nice to believe everyone goes to heaven. It’s not nice. This lie does those who can be reached a disservice.
If we love others we won’t pretend their sin is okay because we don’t want them to go to hell. We won’t condemn them, but we also won’t let them be condemned by this nice lie. If we want to help them we’ll admit the truth to ourselves, and try to make sure they see the truth before it’s too late. We’ll be like the friend of the crippled man, and admit the need for Jesus. We’ll work hard to get those we know who are figuratively crippled by their rejection of the truth to Jesus. We’ll cast down the fake good thoughts. They only harm. Honesty is far more helpful than being nice. We must admit that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light, and no one comes to the Father except through Him. We must be concerned and grieved by those who will suffer because they won’t accept that truth. We must know that truth, and speak it. Speak it loud. Speak it proud. Be bold. Be honest.
We must remember what four men with a crippled friend understood. All people need Jesus. Being nice wouldn’t have gotten their friend healed, and forgiven of his sins. They had to get their friend to Jesus because only Jesus could heal him. If we love our friends and family we need to work hard to get them to Jesus. We need to stop being nice, and start being honest. We need to cast down lies, and lift up the truth.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Wait for the Good
I don’t think anyone will deny that a large part of the world now rejects the idea of marriage. It’s called archaic, outdated, and old-fashioned. Many who have been married ended up divorced, and no longer trust it. Many have been impacted by marriages falling apart, and don’t want to deal with such things. A lot has caused this rejection.
The thing about this is that in the vast majority of cases what is really being rejected is the idea of marriage that doesn’t reflect what God created marriage to be. The idea is that two virgins get married, and are only ever with each other. The problems started to arise when we got impatient, and didn’t want to follow this design. We started having sex before marriage. We started moving in together. This singular thing made it that when we got married it didn’t have that special quality we always imagined. This was our fault, but we were blinded by that. We blamed other things, and usually our spouses. We got divorced, had sex with some people before marriage again, and somehow thought that trying the exact same thing would make things end different. When a formula doesn’t work it should be rejected, and yet we stay loyal to the plan that leads to failed marriages.
Well, that’s not entirely true. Eventually we realize this doesn’t work, and we remain blind. Being blind we can’t see that our sexual immorality is what brought marriage down. We can’t see that, and instead choose to blame marriage itself. We choose to just have sex when we want with who we want, live with them when it feels nice, and move out when it all falls apart. We think we’re sophisticated for this rejection of marriage, but that just shows how blind we are. What we’ve actually done is tainted a beautiful thing, and threw it out after we got it dirty.
This is not how it should be. We should understand the problems, and realize that marriage will not be right until we do it right. We should wait to have sex. We should not live with someone we aren’t married to. Sounds like missing out on fun, but it’s just the opposite. By doing these things outside of marriage we rob ourselves of the amazing thing marriage really can be. Marriage is sacred. Once we realize that is when we can fix it. Once we learn to keep the things that were only meant for marriage out of our lives until marriage we’ll find that marriage is something worth the effort. It really can be amazing, but only if we don’t keep destroying it. Sure, not everyone who does it right will have a great marriage, and not everyone who does it wrong will have a terrible one, but I guarantee that those who do it right have a much higher chance of having a wonderful marriage that last forever. Wait for the good. It’s worth it.
The thing about this is that in the vast majority of cases what is really being rejected is the idea of marriage that doesn’t reflect what God created marriage to be. The idea is that two virgins get married, and are only ever with each other. The problems started to arise when we got impatient, and didn’t want to follow this design. We started having sex before marriage. We started moving in together. This singular thing made it that when we got married it didn’t have that special quality we always imagined. This was our fault, but we were blinded by that. We blamed other things, and usually our spouses. We got divorced, had sex with some people before marriage again, and somehow thought that trying the exact same thing would make things end different. When a formula doesn’t work it should be rejected, and yet we stay loyal to the plan that leads to failed marriages.
Well, that’s not entirely true. Eventually we realize this doesn’t work, and we remain blind. Being blind we can’t see that our sexual immorality is what brought marriage down. We can’t see that, and instead choose to blame marriage itself. We choose to just have sex when we want with who we want, live with them when it feels nice, and move out when it all falls apart. We think we’re sophisticated for this rejection of marriage, but that just shows how blind we are. What we’ve actually done is tainted a beautiful thing, and threw it out after we got it dirty.
This is not how it should be. We should understand the problems, and realize that marriage will not be right until we do it right. We should wait to have sex. We should not live with someone we aren’t married to. Sounds like missing out on fun, but it’s just the opposite. By doing these things outside of marriage we rob ourselves of the amazing thing marriage really can be. Marriage is sacred. Once we realize that is when we can fix it. Once we learn to keep the things that were only meant for marriage out of our lives until marriage we’ll find that marriage is something worth the effort. It really can be amazing, but only if we don’t keep destroying it. Sure, not everyone who does it right will have a great marriage, and not everyone who does it wrong will have a terrible one, but I guarantee that those who do it right have a much higher chance of having a wonderful marriage that last forever. Wait for the good. It’s worth it.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
We are not too Good. They are not too Bad.
There have been times in the past I’ve done wrong. I’ve felt called to serve in a certain way, help a certain type of people, or do a certain thing for God. While I haven’t always refused to do what He asks I often have a terrible instinct. If God calls me to do something that would get my filthy, or to help some people of a lower class a thought from Satan tries to creep into my head. I’m too good for that. I am not meant to get dirty by going in the mud to build a house. I am not meant to soil myself by being in the presence of the homeless. That’s for lesser people; people not as good as me.
I say this because I know this type of thinking is not unique. I know that, especially in a country like America, this way of thinking is common. We are taught from the moment we’re born just how good we are, and it’s true. We are good, or at least capable of much good. We can be filled with pride without realizing it, and this thought can keep us from serving God in the many remarkable ways He wants us to.
This way of thinking is wrong. It reflects the thinking of the older brother who wouldn’t forgive his brother in the prodigal son story. It is the thinking of the Pharisees who wondered why Jesus ate with prostitutes and tax collectors. It is commonly shown as wrong in the scriptures. This way of thinking judges ourselves as good, and as others as too bad for us to be around. It gets us to forget that we only possess any goodness because Jesus came and died for all us bad people. I believe God has given me an excellent phrase that helps combat this type of thinking:
We are not too good. They are not too bad.
That’s right. We’re not. We are not too good to go to countries with less wealth than America, or to be in the presence of sinners. Poor people are not too bad for us to help. Sinners are not too bad to need the redemption we can offer them through Jesus. We are not too good to present it to them. We are not too good. They are not too bad.
When God calls you to do something, to help someone, or to serve Him in some way, and arrogance tries to stop you remember this phrase. We are not too good. They are not too bad. I am not too good. No one is too bad. I am not above serving God in whatever way He calls me to. If Jesus can strip down and wash the feet of His disciples I can also humble myself. All of us can. We are not too good. They are not too bad.
I say this because I know this type of thinking is not unique. I know that, especially in a country like America, this way of thinking is common. We are taught from the moment we’re born just how good we are, and it’s true. We are good, or at least capable of much good. We can be filled with pride without realizing it, and this thought can keep us from serving God in the many remarkable ways He wants us to.
This way of thinking is wrong. It reflects the thinking of the older brother who wouldn’t forgive his brother in the prodigal son story. It is the thinking of the Pharisees who wondered why Jesus ate with prostitutes and tax collectors. It is commonly shown as wrong in the scriptures. This way of thinking judges ourselves as good, and as others as too bad for us to be around. It gets us to forget that we only possess any goodness because Jesus came and died for all us bad people. I believe God has given me an excellent phrase that helps combat this type of thinking:
We are not too good. They are not too bad.
That’s right. We’re not. We are not too good to go to countries with less wealth than America, or to be in the presence of sinners. Poor people are not too bad for us to help. Sinners are not too bad to need the redemption we can offer them through Jesus. We are not too good to present it to them. We are not too good. They are not too bad.
When God calls you to do something, to help someone, or to serve Him in some way, and arrogance tries to stop you remember this phrase. We are not too good. They are not too bad. I am not too good. No one is too bad. I am not above serving God in whatever way He calls me to. If Jesus can strip down and wash the feet of His disciples I can also humble myself. All of us can. We are not too good. They are not too bad.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
Most of us who have spent a significant amount of time in church have heard the parable of the rich fool before. For those who haven’t heard it so often I’ll try to keep it brief. In this parable found in Luke 12 Jesus teaches us about a man who had a surplus of crop that he didn’t know what to do with. He thought about it, and decided this in verses 18-19:
“I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”
This is called the parable of the rich fool because God wasn’t a fan of that idea. Verses 20-21 show us why:
“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Good parable. Easy to understand. Easy to agree with. Easy to call this man a fool. Not easy, however, to admit that what He did is exactly what most of us do, and are taught to do our entire lives. Culture teaches us our wealth should be used to buy the latest Apple product, or to get that car that parallel parks itself. It teaches us that we need that stuff to be a more complete person. Our storehouses are our bank accounts, our homes, our game systems, our smart phones, and our computers. It’s foolish to pour our wealth into such things.
Don’t be selfish. Don’t be stupid enough to think that God gave you riches so you could sit on your butt, and keep it all to yourself. God was good to you so you could be good to others. Any of us who were lucky enough to be born in America are able to do so much because of the great ways we’ve been blessed. Despite this many of us act like this rich fool, and only consider ourselves.
How many of us say we want to tithe, but don’t because we just need a little more money to do so? How many of us make a ton of money, and use it to buy ourselves a better car, bigger house, or to invest so we can make even more? Using our money to eat, drink, and be merry is the American way. We cannot criticize this rich fool, for we act just like him. We keep our riches to ourselves, and keep them from the Lord. This can and should change.
If you have excuses to keep from tithing stop fooling yourself. If you get over one excuse Satan can always provide you with a thousand more excuses. Don’t think that it is somehow right to pad your bank account while some people in different corners of the world don’t even have clean water to drink. Much has been given to us, and we can do immeasurably more with our wealth than we could ever ask or imagine if we trust it to God. If we would stop being selfish, and stop using our wealth for what we think we need to make ourselves happy we will find there is more joy to be had in being rich toward the Lord. We can stop being rich fools, and start being good stewards.
“I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”
This is called the parable of the rich fool because God wasn’t a fan of that idea. Verses 20-21 show us why:
“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Good parable. Easy to understand. Easy to agree with. Easy to call this man a fool. Not easy, however, to admit that what He did is exactly what most of us do, and are taught to do our entire lives. Culture teaches us our wealth should be used to buy the latest Apple product, or to get that car that parallel parks itself. It teaches us that we need that stuff to be a more complete person. Our storehouses are our bank accounts, our homes, our game systems, our smart phones, and our computers. It’s foolish to pour our wealth into such things.
Don’t be selfish. Don’t be stupid enough to think that God gave you riches so you could sit on your butt, and keep it all to yourself. God was good to you so you could be good to others. Any of us who were lucky enough to be born in America are able to do so much because of the great ways we’ve been blessed. Despite this many of us act like this rich fool, and only consider ourselves.
How many of us say we want to tithe, but don’t because we just need a little more money to do so? How many of us make a ton of money, and use it to buy ourselves a better car, bigger house, or to invest so we can make even more? Using our money to eat, drink, and be merry is the American way. We cannot criticize this rich fool, for we act just like him. We keep our riches to ourselves, and keep them from the Lord. This can and should change.
If you have excuses to keep from tithing stop fooling yourself. If you get over one excuse Satan can always provide you with a thousand more excuses. Don’t think that it is somehow right to pad your bank account while some people in different corners of the world don’t even have clean water to drink. Much has been given to us, and we can do immeasurably more with our wealth than we could ever ask or imagine if we trust it to God. If we would stop being selfish, and stop using our wealth for what we think we need to make ourselves happy we will find there is more joy to be had in being rich toward the Lord. We can stop being rich fools, and start being good stewards.
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