The Love of Money vs. The Love of God

 

It will always be better to have a little bit with Jesus than a whole lot without Him. 

Friend, there's nothing in this world worth more than a personal relationship with Jesus, and certainly nothing more precious. Living requires money and yes, it IS a blessing when it helps to meet our needs, but no material possession is sweeter than knowing and following Jesus. Nothing fills up us more than than trusting in and leaning on Him, and nothing else ever will. 

It's easy to become consumed with the love of money, but it's always better to be swept away by the love of Jesus. It provides such sweet contentment, while the love of money always leaves room for complaint. 

Just want to share a few verses with you today:

"Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right. A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps." (Proverbs 16: 8-9)

"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."  (1 Timothy 6:10)

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." (1 Timothy 6-7)

Be Aware of The Pitfalls

    I think we could all come to the collective agreement that the times we are experiencing are truly unprecedented. Everything about our world has grown to be strangely unfamiliar. The unbelievable change in the hearts of some humans continually renders me speechless---the inherent respect for authority and the regard for wisdom have been lost amongst this generation.

    My adjective of choice when describing the crumbling state of our society will forever be 'endangered' because we are living through dangerous circumstances that are ever-changing---there are three core pitfalls that have continually plagued humanity throughout the ages, yet each have grown to be more noticeable in a rather short amount of time---the spirit of entitlement, the presence of distraction and overwhelming confusion will be at the heart of my message today. 

The word 'pitfall' was placed on my heart during a recent Sunday morning ride to church. As I was glancing out the passenger side window, a vehicle had somehow fallen into a ditch. The person was on their phone calling for help and two people were standing in their front yard watching---I'm sure wondering what all the commotion was about.

Mom and I concluded that the person must have been distracted while driving that morning--perhaps texting on their phone as many people do even though they shouldn't. Other times while on the road, I've witnessed someone deliberately using the wrong lane to make a turn and cringed at the obvious confusion of those behind the wheel while at a stoplight.

These are all blatant examples of the aforementioned pitfalls that we can all easily fall into if careful vigilance is not applied to our lives daily--- however, this message is specifically for those who have never accepted Christ.

 I want to spend the rest of today diving deep into the definitions of all three pitfalls while providing an applicable thought on each of them. The remainder of the message won't waste any more time--and my prayer is that it will be helpful to whoever reads this today.

• The Spirit of Entitlement:  I've never before witnessed another time of such entitlement within our world; so many are choosing to live solely for themselves---behaving with selfish intent all while disregarding any presence of rule or order; have you ever personally met someone who lived as though they knew it all? An awful lot of people are making decisions before consulting the One who truly knows all. This particular point is such an important lesson to hold onto. Walking around with a haughty spirit is never wise.  Live humbly and trust in the Lord to direct your path. He knows what's best for you. 

          "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18 KJV) 

            "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps." (Proverbs 16:9 KJV)

• The Presence of  Distraction:  Another pitfall that is well worth mentioning is the presence of distraction that so easily presents itself when we least expect it. I could write SO much on this one point---distraction is truly everywhere you look, in every direction. Our minds should stay on all things eternal---especially if you're lost, it's important to think about your eternal place of residence and to seek the Lord while He may be found. You should never allow the temporary pleasures of this world to keep you from knowing and experiencing the wonderful peace that only He can provide.

            "Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil." (Proverbs 4:25-27 KJV)

"Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:6-7 KJV) 

• The Overwhelming Confusion: We are living through a time of such overwhelming confusion; one cannot watch the news reports without questioning every aspect. Could we really trust that the world will be honest with us? What is the truth and where can we find it? The truth will forever come through God's perfect Word. There's no greater wisdom to be found; God is NOT the author of confusion. His Word will forever be a light amid overwhelming darkness; the greatest source of peace through tribulation.

"For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." (1st Corinthians 14:33 KJV) 

        There's SO much more on my heart to write as part of this message, but I will simply end it all by inviting you to allow Christ into your life if you've never accepted Him as your Savior. 

Maybe you've fallen into a ditch and desperately need a helpful hand to pull you out of the pit. You can always count on Jesus; all you need to do is call upon His name.

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13 KJV)

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9 KJV)