People with no insurance are deathly afraid of getting sick because of soaring medical costs. At the same time businesses with employees are wondering how they are going to be able to continue to afford the insurance they provide. A dollar isn't going nearly as far as it did even six months ago.
Isn't it odd how all of this seems to center around one thing, money? One of the biggest reason for divorce is money. One of the biggest reasons for depression is money. The economy is front and center in the news and in newspapers. There are wars going on all around the world because of money. People are killed by the hundreds every day because people are going into houses and businesses to steal money. I could go on and on.
In 1 Timothy 6:10 it says very plainly "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith, and pierced themselves with many grief's.
Have you ever noticed that when our lives, our hearts, and our minds are focused on money we never seem to have enough of it? We can have money in the bank to spare, but if our trust is in that money, we are never happy or satisfied.
Have you also noticed that some of the most satisfied people are the people with the least amount of money? They scrape to get by, and often wish they had more money, but the money isn't getting in the way of their happiness nor is it controlling their happiness.
I was reading a Reader's Digest article the other day that had the five top reasons for happiness. One of those reasons was money. It wasn't the gathering and accumulating of wealth though, instead it was the giving of it away. It said that the more people were involved in donating to charities and helping other people, the happier and more content they were.
Notice that it is not money in and of itself that makes us happy but how we use it. If we use it in selfish ways and for selfish reason we will be miserable people. If we use it to help others and to give glory to God and His kingdom we will be satisfied and happy people. We will be content because we will be using our wealth to help others.
Paul said it best when he said, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything who gives me strength."
In these hard financial times it is best to be like Paul. He went from being a rich Pharisee to being a lowly tentmaker and evangelist. He went from everyone adoring him and giving him honor, to being beaten, stoned, and imprisoned. Then, after all was said and done, the times that he was most content were when he relied on God alone to give him strength.
Don't let your whole life revolve around getting more for yourself. Instead, learn the secret of being content. Learn to rely on God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who gives you strength.
Start using what God gave you to further His kingdom by supporting missionaries, donating to Agape, helping fellow church members who need financial help, starting a mission project of your own, donating to your church's building project, starting a scholarship fund for kids in need, going to places like Cedar Rapids, New Orleans, or Winfield and helping people out. The opportunities to serve and to give are endless. Go in peace, and serve the Lord!
Rev. Jeremy Klaustermeir
To God All Praise and Glory!
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