Blessed

July 24

"This is what God does. He gives his best -- the sun to warm and the rain to nourish--to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that.... You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." Matthew 5:47-48

ONE THING LEFT

A man came running up, greeted [Jesus] with great reverence, and asked, "Good Teacher,
what must I do to get eternal life?"

Jesus said, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. You know the commandments: Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie, don't cheat, honor your father and mother."

He said, "Teacher, I have -- from my youth -- kept them all!"

Jesus looked him hard in the eye--and loved him! He said, "There's one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me."

The man's face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.

Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who 'have it all' to enter God's kingdom?" The disciples couldn't believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: "You can't imagine how difficult. I'd say it's easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for the rich to get into God's kingdom."

That set the disciples back on their heels. "Then who has any chance at all?" they asked. Jesus was blunt: "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it." Mark 10:17-27 The MESSAGE


We think of wealth as a blessing, and indeed it is, if we allow it to be a vehicle that enables us to do good rather than a vessel of lavishness that we pour out upon ourselves. In that regard, it is like any advantage that one man may have over another. Certainly, it would be preferred that one be smart rather than foolish. It would be more desirable that an individual be healthy rather than sick. It would be the preference of most men to have intact relationships rather than ones that have been fractured.

But just as wealth can become a stumbling block. So can any of the gifts of God that we allow to become our ‘god’ in His stead. If we are honest with ourselves we will discern a proclivity within ourselves to bask in the advantages we perceive ourselves as having. The man who is highly intelligent considers himself to be superior to the man who is of ordinary mental prowess.

The person who is well would not change places with the unfortunate one who must endure the limitations imposed upon him by ill health; neither would the one who is surrounded by a viable support system wish himself to be involved in broken relationships.

Though he who is mentally accomplished is mindful that “We have not been given a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind” II Timothy1:7, yet he may be intimidated in spite of his mental acuity because he has not credited the Lord as the source of his advantage.

The same can be said of the person who is blessed with good health and thriving relationships. When we don’t give the Lord the glory, when we are reliant upon ourselves for the good things we have, we are more encumbered by our advantages than we are blessed by them.

The solution to our dilemma is to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart…” Proverbs 3:5, for when We do that one simple thing, we can say with Paul, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him,” II Timothy 1:12.