pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: money


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Reconnect to God

Reading: Psalm 42

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by problems relating to money, health, relationships, and vocation.  When a couple of these worries pair up, which they often do, then our lives can be quite challenging.  Our habit tends to be to dwell on such things, to allow them to consume our lives.  The cloudiness that settles in can even affect our relationship with God.

Sometimes we become so centered on our problems that we forget God is available as a source of strength and relief.  Our troubles can consume us.  When we finally are reminded of His presence we wonder why we did not turn to Him sooner.  At other times we are like the psalmist.  We seek God but end up asking, “Where is God”?  Despite our efforts, God feels distant.  The cloudiness can be hard to shake.

In these cases, we need to practice the motions of faith that we know so well.  First, we need to pray.  We need to pray out to God even if we feel all alone.  God is near and He is listening.  If we pray faithfully, He will be present.  Second, we need to praise God.  If we are too downcast to find any current praises, turn back to times and ways in which God has blessed you before.  Also, we can be thankful for the littlest things.  Song is another way to pray and to praise God.

In both of these ways we will reconnect to our God, our help and our rock.  In prayer and praise we invite God’s presence to be real to us and to also offer ourselves back to Him.  May we place our hope in God, for He is ever faithful and His love never fails.


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Much to Give

The story of the rich young man.  In it we can hear his desire to follow Jesus.  In it we can sense how torn he is when challenged to give away all his possessions.  In it we can sense Jesus’ sadness over the man’s condition.  In it we can feel great conviction ourselves.  The general principle Jesus is teaching is to give away all you can.  He tells the man to sell his possessions – those things he more we must trust in God.he owns that he really doesn’t need.

We live in a society that teaches us to be consumers.  Society even tries to tell us that it is OK to live in debt, maybe even that it is normal.  Our culture values signs of wealth – big paychecks, impressive titles, grand mansions, fancy cars…  It is easy to say we are doing ‘well’ simply because of the country we were born in or because God is blessing us.  We easily become comfortable with our nice lifestyle.  All of this makes Jesus’ words so hard to hear.

Jesus does not say wealth makes it impossible to enter the kingdom, he just says it makes it hard.  He says it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.  But don’t miss the key phrase, “impossible with man.”  He reminds us that anything, though, is possible with God.  “With God” is the key.

God blesses us in so many ways.  He blesses us not so that we can accumulate great wealth but so that we can bless others.  We are not blessed so that we can live in excess.  It is hard to look at our lives and to decide to prioritize differently so that we can give more away.  But it is not impossible.  The further we want to push that line, the more we must trust in God.  With our trust fully in God, we all will have much to give away.  In doing so we bless others and we bring glory to God.

Scripture reference: Mark 10: 17-27


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Jesus as Center

Idols are all of those things that we invest our time in, that we put our trust in, and that, in the end, draw us away from God.  Our idols can include our possessions or money, our job or position, our looks or our body.  It is all that we place ahead of or before God.  Idols are stumbling blocs in our relationship with God.

In times of need, when we are struggling or suffering and need strength or comfort, our idols can do very little for us.  For a time we can think our chosen idol is helping as it masks the pain or hardship for a time, but it cannot take is away.  Only God can do that.  Only through a relationship with Jesus Christ do we find true peace, comfort, rest, and contentment.

Our idols can also harm others, drawing their attention away from God.  One new to the faith may see you as an example to follow.  If we choose an idol over God, they too may make a similar choice for themselves.  The same is even more true for our children.  Their little eyes are watchful and their small ears are attentive.  What they observe in our lives, they mimic in theirs.

As our lives silently speak out about what we value and where we put our trust, does your life reveal Jesus as your center?  All in our life must fall under His authority.  It is a daily struggle to put God first in all we do, but we can have Jesus as our rock if we make a conscious choice to take our stand upon Him each day.  He is our firm foundation.  Thanks be to God!

Scripture reference: 1 Corinthians 8: 1-13