Do you long to be rich? Are you playing the lottery every week with the hope of winning? Are you saving every dollar you can? Do you invest your money wisely? Would you trade all your riches here on earth for the riches of heaven?
Our culture is obsessed with money and public image. We seek to portray an image of wealth, whether we are wealthy or not. We purchase status symbols when buying clothing, accessories, jewelry, and vehicles—even if we cannot afford them.
There is nothing inherently wrong with money. We need money to purchase necessities. There is nothing wrong with saving for retirement or emergencies. In fact, being prudent and wise with our money is being a good steward with God’s blessings.
However, Jesus tells us it is difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. The real issue is not the money itself; it is the person’s attitude. Too often, the rich person has allowed money to become an idol for them. If we worship money, we cannot worship God. If we serve money, we cannot serve God. If we are not worshiping God, we won’t enter the kingdom of heaven.
It is easy to say we worship God and not money. It is harder to put it into practice. We can go to church every time it is open and still be worshiping money rather than God. It is our attitude that must change. We must put our trust in God rather than money.
I pray we all worship God over money. I pray we make God our number one priority. I pray each one of us ask God to help us with making Him our priority above wealth. Put God first. Worship God rather than wealth. Seek God’s kingdom. Keep your focus on eternity.
Matthew 19:23-24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
Marty Pressey 