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Success is not letting others define
success for you. Success is not growing up to please your
mother and father by entering the field that they wanted
you to enter. Success is not doing a specific job, going
to a superior school, majoring in a special field, joining
a prestigious club, driving a particular car, living in a
high-profile neighborhood or holding important volunteer
positions because others think that defines success.
Success is definitely not buying things we don’t need
with money we do not have, in order to impress people that
do know us and don't care. You cannot let success be
defined by the world or those around you. It can only be
defined by how well you use the gifts God gave you.
Success is being all God intended for you to become.
The Bible has much to say about money. It never tells us
money is evil, only the love of money. Let’s look at
some verses and ponder about God’s plan to help us deal
with our internal feelings and misconceptions about money.
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“A
godly life brings huge profits to people who are
content with what they have.” 1 Timothy 6: 6
(God’s Word) |
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“Those
who love money will never have enough. How absurd
to think that wealth brings true happiness!”
Ecclesiastes 5: 10 (New Living) |
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“Rich
people trust their wealth to protect them. They
think it is like the high walls of a city.”
Proverbs 18: 11 (New Century) |
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“But
people who long to be rich fall into temptation
and are trapped by many foolish and harmful
desires that plunge them into ruin and
destruction. For the love of money is at the root
of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving
money, have wandered from the faith and pierced
themselves with many sorrows.” 1 Timothy 6: 9-10
(New Living) |
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“If
your wealth increases, don’t make it the center
of your life.” Psalm 62: 10 (New Living) |
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“The
love of money causes all kinds of trouble. Some
people want money so much that they have given up
their faith and caused themselves a lot of pain.”
1 Timothy 6: 10 (Contemporary English) |
The past few years of stock market declines, economic and
job uncertainties, terrorist threats and attacks have
created within many people “fear fatigue.” We are worn
out by fears about the world and money.
And
since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked
him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?”
“Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will
become calm again. For I know that this terrible storm is
all my fault.” Instead, the sailors tried even harder to
row the boat ashore. But the stormy sea was too violent
for them, and they couldn’t make it. Jonah 1:11-13 (NLT)
The
more we try to do without God… the worse life gets. Just
like the men in the boat in the above passage... the more
they rowed, the more the storm raged. We need to slow down
enough to hear that soft voice of the Holy Spirit say...
“Hey open your Bible…spend some time with Me. Slow
down my child. Be calm. Listen to me and not the world.”
Storms do brew, but God is always faithful and honors
those that honor Him.
Points
to Ponder: What are specific examples of the world’s
view of money? How is this message being delivered? What
are some practical ways are we can steer clear of the
storms that brew inside of us, with regard to money
matters?
David
Massey
Questions
or comments? Email david@e-devotionals.org. |
