Signs of Drowning

Thankfully, few of us have seen someone drown. But we have seen drownings and near-drownings on TV, so we think we know what to expect. The victim splashes and flails around while screaming and shouting. In real life, drowning is not the violent, splashing shouts for help that we see on TV. Drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet and quick event. During aquatic distress, the victim’s “Instinctive Drowning Response” activates several involuntarily reactions to avoid suffocation in the water. Drowning victims do not splash or wave their arms. They do not yell or call for help. They seem almost calm as they battle to keep their nose and mouth above the water. People have drowned in very shallow water, often close to family and friends because no one near them perceived the danger and no one recognized a struggling victim. Many brothers and sisters in our church family are drowning spiritually, but we are not noticing their distress. Their difficulties and worries may seem small to us. They are not crying out for help. They do not appear to be in distress. And so we do not reach out to rescue them and pull them to safety.

As sinners in a fallen world we all struggle from time to time with our marriage, our finances, our health, our families, our career, and our friends & neighbors. And at times the burden will be more than we can bear alone. Instead of crying out for help or flailing around, people may suffer in silence and withdraw from others. The New Testament has nearly sixty “one another” commands for living in Christian community including loving, serving, honoring, encouraging, forgiving, teaching, and admonishing one another. Helping to carry one another’s burdens is to fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6). A critical aspect of these “one another” commands is that sometimes we dispense love and grace to others, and sometimes we receive kindness and blessings from others.

Most of us would ease the burdens of others if we only knew who was struggling or how to help. When seeking to help others, a good place to start is to remember when we have been overwhelmed in our own lives and to use the comforts and blessings God provided to us for ministering to others. God has a long history of blessing His people to be a blessing to others (see Abraham in Genesis 12). and comforting His people so we can comfort others in their afflictions (2 Corinthians 1). When we remember our own experiences of spiritually near-drownings, then we can more clearly see the signs of distress in others. Deliberately seeking out others who are overwhelmed is the first step toward rescuing them and pulling them to safety. And we can pray that God will open our eyes and our hearts to the struggles of others. By His grace we can help Jesus fulfill His promise of rest for those who are weary from their efforts and weighed down by their burdens (Matthew 11). Let’s not wait while others continue to suffer. Let’s not just hope someone else comes to their rescue. Let’s not delay while sin wins another battle.

The Forgotten Importance of the Ascension

You could imagine a friendly debate about whether the single most important event in Jesus’ life was His death on the cross or His resurrection. His incarnation or His baptism would also find many supporters. Unfortunately Jesus’ ascension is often overlooked and underappreciated. Jesus’ ascension is described in three passages, but the brevity of the record of this event must not hide its importance. (Mark 16:19; Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11)

First, the Ascension explained Jesus’s absence. If Jesus had merely returned to heaven without any witnesses, His disciples would have spent much time looking for Him. They might have even doubted if they saw Him after His death and they might have begun to question if His resurrection actually occurred. The absence of Jesus, without an explanation confirmed by many witnesses, would have given the Jewish leaders and the Romans a chance to say that they finally killed Him and thoroughly destroyed His body so He could not deceive anyone again or cause any more trouble

Second, Jesus needed to go away so He could send the Holy Spirit to every believer. The night before His death, Jesus told His disciples He is going way. (John 14) Jesus comforted them by telling them that He and the Father will make Their home with them, and that the Holy Spirit will dwell with them and will be in them. After Jesus departed, His disciples could then experience the power, presence, and peace of God directly wherever they went, not merely when they were in His physical presence.

Third, the Ascension further affirmed that Jesus accomplished everything He had come to do. Jesus’ death appeared to signal His defeat, but His resurrection from the dead three days later showed that He had perfectly kept the whole Law of God and that He had defeated death itself. After His resurrection Jesus needed to forgive and restore His sinful disciples. He also needed to finish their preparation to proclaim the Kingdom of God without His physical presence and earthly leadership. Jesus’ ascension was the fitting end of His earthly ministry, confirming that He fulfilled everything God the Father had called Him to do.

Fourth, the Ascension restored Jesus to His glory prior to the incarnation. Jesus emptied Himself when He left His heavenly home to be born as a poor child in an occupied land. (Philippians 2) Upon His return to heaven, Jesus traded His earthly circumstances and surroundings to once again residing in Heaven. He no longer restrained or deferred any of His divine attributes as He had while He walked the earth as the God-man.

Fifth, the Ascension enthroned Jesus at the Father’s right hand. Visions of Jesus in heaven showed his place of power, privilege, and proximity to the Father. Since God is spirit, we understand “at the Father’s right hand” to be a metaphor for a position of glory, majesty, and honor while reigning over all creation. The presence of Jesus at the Father’s right hand showed us that whatever alienation and separation Jesus experienced from the Father at the cross is a thing of the past and they have been completely reconciled to one another.

Sixth, the Ascension allowed Jesus to minister to His church as Priest, Prophet and King from Heaven. So much of the Old Testament describes the roles and responsibilities of these officeholders in Israel and records their activities in the history of God’s people. These men were merely a shadow of Jesus as the ultimate High Priest, Heavenly Prophet and Divine King who rules over His whole creation and His Church. One important example of Jesus’ on-going ministry is as our intercessor, reconciling us to God the Father for any and all sins we commit.

Seventh, the Ascension glorified human nature as never before. In His resurrection body, Jesus gave us a small preview of what human limitations will be gone when we have resurrected bodies. Jesus’ bodily ascension further showed us that “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” when we are fully glorified and we join Him in the new heaven and the new earth. (1 Corinthians 2, ESV)

Eighth, the Ascension foreshadowed Jesus’ personal, physical, and glorious return. After His ascension, the disciples were told, “Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1, ESV) While we eagerly await Jesus return when He will create a new heaven and a new earth, we know what His return will be like. We are cautioned to beware of deceivers pretending to be the returning Messiah. Since we know the way in which Jesus will return, we are less vulnerable to counterfeit and demonic would-be saviors who desire to lead us astray.

While not neglecting the importance of Jesus’ incarnation, death or resurrection, let us not forget that Jesus’ ascension was a critically important event in human history and in the birth of His church. While we wait for His return, Jesus’ ascension should fill us with hope and anticipation of the glorious future that awaits us.

A Christian Appreciation of the Konmari Organizing Method

Imagine a life where everything you own brought you joy. Impossible? According to Marie Kondo, that lifestyle is more within all our grasp than we realize.

I spent this month self-consciously thinking of ways to tidy my apartment. For me, it was helpful because I just moved into a new place. Second, I’ve never been a self-declared tidy person. In fact, I’m probably their worst enemy. I didn’t do dishes in time; I can go weeks without seeing the floor of my room; I had piles of possessions that I had no intention of ever using again but would hoard them “just because I might use it again.”

And then I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and something has been slowly changing in me. My apartment is not clutter-free, but I’m personally making differences which change the way I view cleaning. I no longer feel obligated to store things that I know I will never use again; I’m much pickier with the space I use and what I keep; there’s about five trash bags full of stuff that I’m perfectly okay with tossing now.

There’s a saying that a cluttered mind produces a cluttered desk; sometimes we treat our mess as if it’s a sign of genius, and we’re not willing to just face the facts: it’s a mess we don’t want to clean up. Look at God Himself: read Genesis 1-2:3 or Psalm 104 and you’d see the overabundance of God’s emphasis on order both in creation and governing the world.

If we are looking deeply at the KonMari method, there is one nuance that Christian ought to realize. Marie calls us to appreciate what we own, but she calls us to treat our possessions as something with life: enter your house and thank it for sheltering you; thank your clothes for keeping you warm; she mentions her own story of texting her old phone before it broke, thanking it for everything.

This may seem innocent enough, but I think we’re missing a key element here: we should be thanking God Himself because He is the one where every good and perfect gift comes from. Scripture itself comes close to describing this view, but it always in a negative light. In your free time, read all of Isaiah 44:12-20, but here is just a sample, speaking of a blacksmith making an idol:

Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.” From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, “Save me! You are my god!” They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand.

There is a lot of great benefits that we can draw from Marie; there is probably more clutter in your house than you want; you own more than you really need; you don’t consider what actually brings you joy in life. We should take care of what we own, and we should realize when we own too much. But we don’t do this because of the life we see within them; we appreciate and take care of what we own because ultimately, they are gifts from God Himself.

Dealing with Interruptions like Jesus

We all hate interruptions. But as a parent of two small children, interruptions are a way of life. I finally lay down to sleep after a long day, and—interruption—a toddler burst into my room. I think I have my baby down for a nap, and I settle down to read a book until — interruption— cries ring from the bedroom.

But interruptions can come from other sources as well. You settle in to get that project done at work when — interruption— a coworker barges into your office. You are out for a relaxing walk to clear your head when — interruption— your talkative neighbor stops you.

So, how can we deal with interruptions? Well, as I was enjoying an uninterrupted time of Bible reading recently, I was struck by the way Jesus handled interruptions in Matthew 14. Jesus heard about the death of his friend, John the Baptist, and in verse 13, the text says that he “withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself.” He sought out solitude. And this was his modus operandi: he often retreated for times of prayer and reflection in the busyness of life and public ministry.

Now, most of the sermons I’ve heard on this passage say something like this: “Jesus needed time alone for prayer and reflection. Therefore, it’s right for us to pursue this as well.” Of course, this application is correct. But is it the only application? After all, notice what happened to Jesus in Matthew 14:13: “But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

And this should be our response to interruptions as well. When the kids crawl into your bed when you’re trying to sleep, when your toddler interrupts your time of reading and reflection, when your neighbor needs to talk, when your coworker barges into your office, do you feel compassion? Do you look for opportunities to love and serve?

However, lest we think this is an isolated event, Jesus makes another attempt to be alone in Matthew 14. His first attempt failed. But in verse 23, the text says, “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.” Jesus seizes another opportunity to be alone.

But look at verse 25. His disciples got on a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee until a dangerous storm suddenly blew in. They were about to be drowned. Therefore, Jesus left his time of solitude to save them. Jesus was willing to be interrupted out of love for others.

Therefore, are we willing to be interrupted? Do we respond in anger and frustration? Or do we respond in grace, compassion, and mercy like our Lord Jesus Christ? My prayer for all of us is that we will pursue times of solitude for prayer and reflection. This is important in a busy world. But we should never idolize our times of solitude. Sometimes they are interrupted, and that’s okay. The greater call is to love God and to love those around us as God first loved us and gave himself for us.

Pascal’s Paradox: How Can We Be both So Wonderful and So Wicked?

Blaise Pascal was a brilliant 17th century mathematician, physicist, logician, inventor, and Christian thinker. In his incomplete work Pensées (thoughts), Pascal pondered the paradox that people (individually and collectively) are both unimaginably good and staggeringly evil. History provides countless examples of people sacrificing to alleviate suffering and struggling to secure the freedom of others. But we also find terrible examples of cruelty and oppression. When we study the history of science, we find tremendous advances in medicine, public health, and using natural resources to better mankind. But we also find more efficient ways for people to oppress or kill one another and pollute our planet. As Pascal said, “The more enlightened we are the more greatness and vileness we discover in man.” What can explain these extremes of goodness and wickedness co-existing within our hearts?

Many have tried to explain away either man’s goodness or man’s wickedness. For example, some believe we are merely evolved animals “red in tooth and claw”, and we should expect to be savage and merciless as we strive to survive. Any apparent goodness is just the animal within us looking for some selfish advantage in a world where only the fittest survive. In contrast others believe we are all inherently good, and any wickedness or evil we do is because we are victims; enslaved by the chains of our society and oppressed by the culture around us. They cry, “restore justice” and “set us free” so we can live in peace and harmony with one another. Pascal said, “It is dangerous to explain too clearly to man how like he is to the animals without pointing out his greatness. It is also dangerous to make too much of his greatness without his vileness. It is still more dangerous to leave him in ignorance of both, but it is most valuable to represent both to him.”

Are man’s divine aspirations and animal malevolence mutually exclusive? If not, how could both natures with their opposing thoughts, desires, and actions be true about us? Pascal concluded that, “true religion must necessarily teach us that there is in man some great principle of greatness and some great principle of wretchedness!” The Apostle Paul described his own battle with his desire to do good while actually acting wickedly. “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. … For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. … Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7 ESV)

The Bible and the Christian faith provide the best explanation for the seemingly paradoxical condition of human greatness and wretchedness that we observe in ourselves and others. First, we are created in the image and likeness of God including the understanding of right and wrong, the ability to love and sacrifice, the capacity to think and create, the power to design and build, the foresight to plan and prepare for the future, and many more attributes not found elsewhere in creation. So, what is the source of our wickedness? Because second, we have been corrupted, tarnished and distorted by our rebellion against God. All of our capacity and capability for greatness has been turned in the direction of evil and wickedness, though it may not seem that way to us. God’s grace opens our eyes to see that the sin in others is no different that the sin in our own hearts, minds, and bodies. And when we cry to be free from our rotten condition, Jesus rescues us, sets us free, rebuilds our relationship with God, and renews us to live a life without hatred, cruelty, pride, selfishness, anger, or anything else that separates us from God.

Does God Care About How I Use Money?

Do you think you are bad with finances? Does budgeting make you cringe? In fact, while we're at it, should I even care if I am?

Believe me, I've been there--I've been there very recently, spending $200 a month eating out, gathering a collection of premium Bibles, adding to the Amazon cart with whatever strikes my fancy. It was easy not to care, because I just assumed life would work out in the end. Of course, as I continued to do that, I slowly watched whatever money I did have disappear.

Does God really care about how I use money? Doesn't he have more important concerns to deal with? Why do my shopping habits matter to him?

Actually, God cares very much about how I steward my money. So much more, our Savior Jesus directly spoke about financial stewardship. For a moment, go read Luke 16:1-13, especially v.8-13, and then tell me if Jesus thinks financial wisdom is important. Every good and perfect gift we receive comes from our heavenly Father, and that includes our wealth.

Now that's all well and good, but what am I supposed to do with that information? We are called to honor the Lord with our wealth (Proverbs 3:9), but what does that even mean? As a Christian, we may think this is just about the money we give, but this goes above and beyond just what we give back to God; we're even called to honor God with how we spend our money. I used to be the first person to mock budgeting programs, ignore financial advice, and spend money however I saw fit. The problem is that this mentality dishonors God just as much as if I’m good with money but hoard it to myself.

All of us are on a budget, whether we write it out or not. As someone who did not care about how my money was spent, that was a lesson that took a long time to learn. But as a perpetual learner, I realized that this is something Scripture does regularly speak and care deeply about, and it is not reserved for the financial advisers; it is something that we should all consider deeply. If Jesus thought it was important to give an entire parable about, we should all pause and reflect about how we use our own money.

*If you are interested in learning more about budgeting, Dave Ramsey offers great insights and resources for all life-long learners (https://www.ramseysolutions.com/).

Book Recommendation: “Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World” by Tom Holland

Dominion tells the story of how the evolution of Western culture can be seen as the progressive influence of Christian values. Holland argues that Christian teachings and morality have become almost universally accepted, even though Christian theology and ceremonies remain largely confined within religious communities. In Dominion, portraits of key figures and important events throughout history, from 479 BC to the present, show the transforming power and effect of Christian values in every era.

Many distinctly Christian ideas are essentially accepted by everyone as to how we should live and what we ought to do; what is good and what is evil. All too often, people fail to give Christianity credit for these ethical standards and are surprised when people from other cultures fail to honor these “universal” values. For example, we should care for the poor, help the weak, assist the needy, grieve at the afflictions of the vulnerable, and strive to end oppression and exploitation. Religious freedom is a human right, and no one should be compelled to believe anything against their will. Sexual morality demands mutual obligations in marriage including consent, fidelity, and respect for women. Sacred writings should be available for everyone to read in their own language, which requires a commitment to universal education and literacy. We believe that history is progressing toward greater justice and peace. These “universal” values are no longer even debated in the Western world, and many have even been co-opted to weaken the influence of traditional, Christian morals in modern culture.

Holland indirectly explores Nietzsche’s idea that it is mistaken to reject Christianity and live without God, while still believing in universal human rights and in the equal dignity of every person. These Christian ethics did not develop in Eastern cultures, and the Ancient Greek and the Roman world found them unreasonable. Holland shows that the shame-and-honor cultures of pagan Europe (the Anglo-Saxons, the Franks, the Germans) thought that forgiving one’s enemies, honoring the poor, and respecting the weak could not be the basis for society. Similarly, modern science depends on the Christian view of the world as real (not an illusion as once held in the East) and orderly (created by a mind and designed to work on comprehensible, universal laws). Holland, who is not a Christian, argues that these ideas could only emerge from a worldview with a single, personal God who created all beings in His image, and with a Savior who came and died demonstrating sacrificial love for His creation.

What Is More Important Than Money, Wealth and Riches? (Part 2)

Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings with the purpose of teaching us how and why we should live obediently to God’s Law. Proverbs has much to say about money and riches. Jesus talked frequently about wealth, including the admonition that “no one can serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6) You can imagine Jesus sitting around a fire at night and using Proverbs to teach His disciples that money is not the most important thing in life.

Peace in the home is more satisfying than a life of affluence.

Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife. (17:1)

An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. (31:10)

Two of the world’s richest men, Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, were not able to stay happily married in spite of their vast riches. Their wealth has not spared them the heartache and pain of separating from the person who pledged to love them forever. No amount of money makes up for stress and hostility within one’s family. Too often married people ignore Biblical teachings on marriage because they think there isn’t much they can do to change their spouse or their circumstances. But by God’s grace, we can become more godly spouses when we follow God’s Word and honor our spouses as “far more precious than jewels”.  It’s also important that we don’t allow our spouses to devalue our worth because we are also made in the image of God. Likewise, single people often ignore Biblical teachings on marriage because they are not married. But single people may one day face the decisions of whether or not to marry, and who to marry. Long before their wedding day arrives, single people should know their God-given worth and the value of a godly spouse, so they are making a wise decision on their big day.

Integrity, honor, and favor are better than riches.

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,

and favor is better than silver or gold. (22:1)

Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways. (28:6)

How often are we tempted to sell our good name and integrity to ‘save a few bucks?’ We may lie about our child’s age to get a discount. We may hide inconvenient truths about a car or home we are selling. We may share Netflix account information or a membership card. These seemingly small matters of integrity reveal what really matters to us when we think no one is watching and the risk of getting caught is low. Lying, stealing and coveting are three of God’s Ten Commandments, so we should not take these sins lightly. But even in this life, once people know we cannot be trusted in small and obvious ways, they will not likely trust us with anything more valuable. If we learn that people will ‘cheat in our favor’, then we know that they are more likely to ‘cheat against us’ too. If you know that someone is both wealthy and dishonest, which is the first, most important characteristic of that person you remember? Think of Bernie Madoff, Vladimir Putin, Michael Milken, Robert Mugabe, or Charles Ponzi. It may take a lifetime to build one’s integrity and a good name, but these can be lost in an instant of wickedness or carelessness.

What is more important than money, wealth and riches? Part 1

Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings with the purpose of teaching us how and why we should live obediently to God’s Law. Proverbs shows us the wisdom, character, and mind of God Himself. God is the source of all true wisdom, which we can only obtain by His grace when we trust in Him. The godly life principles taught in Proverbs must be applied appropriately in each situation due to the complexity of living among sinners in a fallen world.  

Righteousness and the fear of the Lord are more important than money:

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it. (15:16)

Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. (11:28)

Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. (11:4)

Living in a way that pleases God and shows Him the proper respect often clashes with obtaining wealth and riches. Our ‘lust of the eyes’ can tempt us to choose money instead of obedience to God. In our heads we may know that we cannot depend on riches for security, but too often we think that having just a little more money will give us just a little more security. We all know people who have felt secure in their career or their investments or their business, only to lose it all when the economy turns sour. Or how helpless these rich people felt when their health worsened, or their marriage fell apart.

We must remember that God will not be mocked. If we place our trust in our treasures, then He will need to show us that we cannot ultimately depend on anyone or anything but Him. This lesson will be difficult to learn, but it is better to learn this lesson now than to learn it on the ‘day of wrath’ at the judgment seat. The flourishing of the righteous may an unexpected path, but God promises great things for those who love and fear Him.

Wisdom and understanding are more valuable than gold and silver.

How much better to get wisdom than gold! / To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. (16:16)

  A rich man is wise in his own eyes, / but a poor man who has understanding will find him out. (28:1)

  Solomon had the opportunity to ask God to give him whatever he wanted, and Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge. (2 Chronicles 1) We repeatedly face the same choice throughout our prayer life: to ask God for wisdom, knowledge and understanding, or to ask Him to merely improve our immediate circumstances. Augustine has said, “the essence of sin is disordered love.” Few of us love what is truly evil and wicked. But everyone yearns for some less-important things more than we should, and desires other more-important things less than we ought. Wisdom helps us to make better choices and properly order our priorities.

Repenting of our sin and reordering what we love are especially important when we see how often we have prioritized money over being wise and understanding in the things of God. We must also avoid being full of head-knowledge without being a “doer of the Word.” (James 1) No matter how much Scripture we memorize or how much theology we know, if we are not living our lives in accord with the wisdom of God, then we are hypocrites who are only deceiving ourselves.

What should we do with all the blessings God provides?

It is not surprising that the global COVID-19 pandemic led to millions of lost jobs in the U.S. But one surprising effect of the pandemic was that overall personal savings in the U.S. has increased by about $2 trillion dollars (about 10% of U.S. GDP) due to delayed consumer spending and government expenditures for unemployment insurance and economic stimulus. Economists are struggling to predict the course of the economic recovery due to the uncertainty of what people will do with this extra money as pandemic restrictions ease. The key unknown factor is whether people will consider this extra money as income or wealth. Income is more likely to be spent now on the necessities and small luxuries of life, ex. food, rent, clothing, entertainment, commuting to work. Wealth is generally saved for larger expenditures whether planned events, (ex. a child’s college education, a new house, retirement) or unplanned events (ex. health expenses, financial setbacks, helping others in need). When China eased their pandemic restrictions, consumers participated in a wave of “revenge spending” due to their pent-up demand for travel, entertainment, and luxury goods, but no one knows if other societies will behave likewise. How God’s people handle their money in these uncertain times will matter long after the pandemic is over, and the economy has recovered.

The Bible contains many historical events and parables from Jesus that focus on money, spending, saving, and wealth. Regarding income and spending, Jesus praised the poor widow who put all she had into the offering. The early Gentile churches generously provided money to the Christians in Jerusalem. The parable of the prodigal son reminds us that a fortune can be squandered on reckless living. Regarding savings and wealth, Solomon used the treasures of Israel to build the house of the Lord. In the parable of the affluent, foolish farmer, Jesus condemned everyone who lays up treasure for themselves and is not rich toward God.  In so many ways, the Bible cautions and commands us to avoid the love of money; both income and wealth.

The common theme regarding money throughout Scripture is stewardship. First, everything belongs to God. Second, we will ultimately give an account to God for the decisions we made with the resources He gave us. Third, God’s assessment of our faithful stewardship will be rewarded, as in the parable of the talents. It helps to meditate on one question and one statement. First, “what do you have that you did not receive?” And second, “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father” Directly or indirectly, every ability, every opportunity, every resource, and everything else we have is an undeserved gift from God. Having much money, little money, or no money should not be our preoccupation. What matters is that we make kingdom-wise decisions with the resources God gives us. The poor, the rich, and everyone in-between battle with the pressures of money in different ways, but greed, selfishness, covetousness, and pride tempt us all.

Now is the time for many Christians to decide what to do with a bit of extra, unbudgeted money. Will each of us store up treasures on earth, or in heaven? Will we look to help our brothers and sisters facing difficult financial circumstances? Will we invest in missions, mercy, and hospitality to reach a lost world for Christ? Jesus was very clear about the dangers of divided loyalty, “you cannot serve both God and money.” And Jesus also showed the consequences of choosing money over God, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” These difficult teachings on wealth are dangerous for us to avoid and challenging to our relationship with income and wealth. But it is also helpful to remember that if we honorably manage the blessings God has given us, He will one day welcome us into heaven saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”