Ever wish you had more money? Did not have to think about when and how to pay the bills? Maybe just a little rich? Ever been or known of a situation where there was a disputed inheritance? Money issues make people crazy…
Jesus encountered people like you and me all through His ministry. People who were either struggling with money or else were well off financially. Luke 12:13 – 21 records one such encounter, this one about an inheritance. A man asks Christ to tell his brother to divide the inheritance. Christ refuses, and launches into the parable of the rich man and his barns.
Look at Luke 12:21. It is Jesus’ bottom line. He says there that the end of the rich man is for all who store treasure for themselves but are not rich toward God. That stopped me.
Rich toward God.
Based on the parable the obvious response, my response, is I want that. I want to be rich toward God. But how? How does one become rich toward God? What are the steps? Where does one start the process? So I asked some people I know, and I will ask you… How would you answer those questions? How does one become rich toward God?
I will share what I learned tomorrow.
Look at Luke 12:21. It is Jesus’ bottom line. He says there that the end of the rich man is for all who store treasure for themselves but are not rich toward God. That stopped me.
Rich toward God.
Based on the parable the obvious response, my response, is I want that. I want to be rich toward God. But how? How does one become rich toward God? What are the steps? Where does one start the process? So I asked some people I know, and I will ask you… How would you answer those questions? How does one become rich toward God?
I will share what I learned tomorrow.
According to Andy Stanley, I am rich. One problem is nobody ever told me. And I'm not good at being rich. Of course that's the problem Jesus exposed in Luke. The question is not what I don't have (my default position) but what am I doing with what I do have?
ReplyDeleteTo me that means, where is my heart? The rich man's heart was in the wealth of his day. This was the same problem the man who was questioning Jesus. He wasn't trusting God, for one thing. I know that reveals my poverty of spirit toward God, I'm struggling more than ever with that very issue these days.. Otherwise I will trust what He gives - or does.
Apparently didn't care about his brother, either, which was more important in God's sight and obviously needed some work.
My application is to take hard evaluation of my giving which is in chaos like the rest of my life right now (although that's only the surface thing, it will give me insight into where my heart is) and bring it into better alignment with my heart's desire. I sense that will mean some reevaluation of my living style.
In my case I'm discovering tht one cannot live as cheaply as two. That needs to change.