Fix your eyes on Jesus

Do you have lots of money, at least comparably speaking? Can you buy nice clothes, live in a nice house, do things some others can't do? It's important for you to see that importance isn't very important. Here's something Francis de Sales said in 1609 (and I don't understand 1609 humor, so I don't know if he was being funny or serious, but he makes his point): Some [people] become proud and insolent, either by riding a good horse, wearing a feather in their hat, or by being dressed in a fine suit of clothes; but who does not see the folly of this? For if there be any glory in such things, the glory belongs to the horse, the bird, and the tailor; And what meanness of heart must it be, to borrow esteem from a horse . . . . Or again, he's teaching a strong lesson but he expresses it with his own funny little quirk: Certainly nothing can so effectively humble us before the mercy of God as the multitude of His benefits! Whatever there is of good in us is not from ourselves. Do mules cease to be disgusting beasts, because they are laden with the precious and perfumed goods of the prince? Well, so much for our self-esteem. The Lord Himself says it best: Who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? (1 Corinthians 4:7). If you yourself have worked hard to make your money, listen to Him: You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). The immensely rich and successful King David, after publicly offering to God literally tons of gold and silver from his own personal treasuries, prayed in front of all his subjects, Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours . . . Wealth and honor come from you . . . Everything comes from you and we have given you only what comes from your hand (1 Chronicles 29:11-14). God is in charge of all distributions of moneys and goods. And He's pleased and delighted to give them in abundance to someone like David who acknowledges Him as the source and who is diligent to give back responsibly and generously. Centuries-old Gold Dust, that classic little book, says it this way: Do not hesitate to ask for temporal blessings -- health, intellect, success. [God] can bestow them, and [He] never fails to do so where they tend to make the soul more holy. Ah, there! That's the point! Will more riches make you more holy? Then God is perfectly willing to give them to you. Now, read carefully, because this could make all the difference in your life: People of this world work only for the love of themselves. You must work for the love of God. You see, self-love is full of jealously, greed, uneasiness, and turbulence, and all the care and maintenance of that self-love is the same. Is that the kind of life you want, the kind of person you want to be? But the love of God is sweet, productive, fulfilling, and agreeable. And the care and maintenance of your love of God -- even working in the meantime for worldly goods -- will be the same! Would you like that kind of life? Would you like to be that kind of person? Hold out your hands and cup them, and in your imagination fill them will all your money and possessions. (Maybe you and your spouse would like to do this together, and put in your hands your wallets and checkbooks and some C.D. certificates or whatever, as symbolic of all the rest.) Then read out loud David's prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:10-13, and worship the Lord for all His goodness to you. If you'd like to make it a time of special giving to the Lord -- a thank offering -- you could continue praying verses 14 through 18. Oh, my friend, in your strategic and responsible and happy circumstance of having money -- Fix your eyes on Jesus. * * * * * Once it was the blessing, Now it is the Lord; Once it was the feeling, Now it is His Word; Once His gifts I wanted, Now the Giver own; Once I sought for healing, Now Himself alone. --A.B. Simpson