23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
Since WW2 America has enjoyed unprecedented prosperity and thus the creation of a great middle class. We have enjoyed the riches provided to us by the blood, sweat and tears of previous generations. For years now we have lived on the national credit card using the riches of future generations to enrich our life style.
There are dangers to riches and material comfort. I believe the Bible and history shows us that through suffering we gain the greatest perspective on life. I am not saying we should seek suffering for the sake of suffering. I am not saying that having money and comforts are inherently sinful. I am pointing out the dangers of such that all must be aware of. Comfort and riches have a tendency to blind us to reality and to real meaningful lives. Riches can give us a false sense of self-importance. Material things have a way of blinding us to our duty to God and our fellow man. We give $100 on Sunday when we could give $1,000. We spend $500 our pleasures and give $10 to God on Sunday. We give $20 on Sunday and then go out to eat and spend $50 on a meal that could feed 100 hungry children. So, you have $250,000? Why not leave half of that to the church for mission work or to feed the hungry, instead of heirs who may or may not appreciate it and who may in turn just waste it on more and more "things". Something to think about. We ignore this topic because it makes us uncomfortable and preachers ignore it out of fear of criticisms and attacks. I will gain no "praises of men" for writing these words. But, I have long ago given up on any such concerns. God help me to do your will.
President Kennedy in the early 1960's called our Nation to service. He created the Peace Corps to challenge men and women all over America to role up their sleeves and go to work in the poorest parts of the world to better lives. This they would do not for fame and glory or any significant material gain but because it was right. It was the call of the better angels within us all.
I urge all to think of greatness in terms of service. A successful life is not one that is about accumulating more and more money and material things but a successful life is one that is about giving away your self in the service of God and humanity. Jesus taught us that the greatest among us is he/she that serves (Matt. 23:11).
Look back on your life for the last seven days. Did your spend most of your time on yourself? Did you give this message of self service and pleasure to your family? Or, did you show them by your life and by your influence on them, that the great things in life is about serving others.
I see ads on TV about these "glorious retirement places". There you can sleep to noon every day and golf the rest of the day and then enjoy a fine meal for dinner. Such is a recipe for an early grave. Such is also the recipe for a forgotten life.
All of us, for as long as their is life and opportunity within us must be about the Father's business. Serve, work, do, sacrifice, help, and give your all to the glory of God and the salvation of man.
A life of comfort and ease makes us lazy and self centered. Each day we think of the new restaurant we shall visit, new clothes we shall buy, shopping to accumulate more things to collect in our houses to dust each week, buying the newest car on the market at a $500 a month payment. We forget about the pain and suffering all around us and all over the world. We forget about the lost everywhere.
I have watched HGTV and seen programs where they remodel a kitchen. The old kitchen is perfectly fine and much of the world would be thrilled to have such. However, the family is outraged that they have such a kitchen. Therefore, they have it completely gutted and replaced with a new kitchen costing $50,000 and up.
The church of Christ is in decline in the United States. You can argue with me all you want and try to deny such to the high heavens but it will not change the reality of massive church decline. For America as a whole the church of Christ is irrelevant to the average citizen. Jesus spoke of being the light of the world and transforming lives. What are we doing?
The first century Christians sacrificed everything and I mean everything for the cause of our Lord. That is why the church is here today Previous generations have sacrificed so much.
The average church member needs to pray more, worship more, give more, and sacrifice more for the spread of the gospel and for the growth of the Kingdom. Our success in the local church will be measured by our level of sacrifice.
Would you keep the old car you have instead of buying a new one and use the extra money to support a missionary? Would you keep the house you have instead of buying a bigger and newer one and use the extra to feed and help hungry children? Have you ever denied yourself anything for the cause of Christ?
Listen to the Bible:
1 Timothy 6:6-12New International Version (NIV)
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Our culture of wealth, materialism, and the mad rush for more and more has blinded the church to its great mission of evangelism and service to humanity.
I pray God to forgive me for my past years of too much concern for money, and help me to now see that my life is HIS. I pray God to forgive me for my past years of too much concern for money, and help me to now see that my life is HIS. I still struggle to try to be more spiritual and more a servant and less consumed with money and material things. All that I have including my very life is HIS! PRAISE GOD!All that I have including my very life is HIS! PRAISE GOD!
*Allen Ashlock, 2014
P.S. If you have bought a big, new house or new cars or remodeled your house, I am not trying to make you miserable. I rejoice in your blessings. I am just trying to point out that maybe we all should look at money and things more carefully. Maybe, we all should look at a life of service and sacrifice for the good of the church, and reaching the lost and helping the suffering as the greatest achievement of our lives.
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