Back In The Day…

If you don’t know by now that we are in an economic crisis, you need to be checked for signs of life. With that said, how much thought have you given to what you can do with the situation as it is? Are you worried, scared, or just confused about the unknown effects it can have on your life?  From my perspective let me say, I am choosing to find peace in knowing that my God is bigger than the uncertainty of all that is going on with the world’s financial dilemma.

 

Surprisingly enough, I am not thinking forward, I am thinking back. Back to a time when life wasn’t all about the stock market, having the largest home, the latest, greatest model of car, the highest tech computer, dressing for success, or owning a phone that could do everything except pay for itself.  I’m thinking back in the day….

 

When eating out didn’t have to be an expensive dinner, When you didn’t have to pay the entire production cost of a movie to watch it in a theatre, only to be offended by its content. A time when just hanging out at a ballgame, a church social or spending time with the family was a big deal. A simpler time, a safer time, a time when not having the most toys didn’t make you a loser.

 

I’ve wondered a lot lately if our present fear of loosing our worldly possessions is God’s way of waking us up. Is it His way of getting our attention, by causing us to question what our treasure in this world is?  We know our treasure shouldn’t be of this world, but we also know too often it is. Having a relationship with Christ makes us wealthy; it gives us the keys to the kingdom. How many of us will ever be wealthy enough to have personal access to a kingdom any other way?  I’m guessing none of us.

 

The rich young ruler was young, well-mannered, well educated, and well off.  He was sincere, honest and above reproach. Certainly Jesus found him likable; He even tried to recruit him. (Mark 10:21)  He was the man who had everything…except eternal life.

And he could have had that too. All he had to do was get rid of his money and follow Jesus. But it wasn’t to be.

 

Matthew 6:24 says that “no one can serve both God and money.” Here was living proof of that principle. In coming to Jesus, the rich young ruler came to a fork in the road. He had to choose which one he would serve…money or Jesus. Apparently he chose money.

 

Are we rich young rulers today? People who have or are well on our way to having so much “stuff” that it becomes our god. Sooner or later we must answer the question that this young man asked Jesus: “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17)  Jesus response is still the same: “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27)

 

He promises us that he will give it freely, graciously and more abundantly than we can imagine if we will only follow Him. If your treasure is in your worldly possessions, this will be especially hard to do. You have a competing offer, and it’s very attractive….but not eternal.