March 21, 2023 – Luke 16

You’ve heard it said that the little things count, and yet I hear people say things like, “It was just a little lie.” I have watched people envy others’ belongings and hate what they have. I have seen people steal and cheat and believe there was no other way for them to gain what they need. I have watched as people act one way in church and become very unkind and judgmental outside of the building. I have watched marriages fall apart as an overly committed spouse makes working and money the priority. I have seen lives destroyed and relationships dissolved as people use substances to make themselves feel better.

There are so many things I love about the Bible – God’s word. One thing I love is that his word provides a pathway that leads us to wholeness if we choose to listen and follow it. It does not say anywhere in the Bible that living life is easy. But what I do know is that battling life for what humans believe is the “one thing” that will make us happy normally does not lead us to happiness.

If we look at all that we have and appreciate that each thing we have is a gift from God, we will be happier. I have been to South Africa and have seen people who have dirt floors, no running water and no electricity and they are happy. Not just a little happy, but serenely and peacefully happy. I have watched them worship the Lord with all they have – their whole heart. It wasn’t worship based on what material things they had – it was based on what they had in their heart.

God knows our hearts. He has given us all that we need. We shouldn’t take anything we have for granted and we should appreciate all we have. God is our Lord. He is the one we can focus on and our return will be great. It matters how you think, how you feel, and how you behave when you are a follower of Christ. It matters every day of the week, every minute of the day. Choose right now to make your relationship with Christ be the thing that matters the most. Follow him. Worship him. Trust him. In the end, you will be much richer for it.

Questions for reflection:

  1. When was a time you made something else your God?
  2. Has there ever been a time when you realized that God could bring you more serenity than things of this world?
  3. God knows our hearts. How are you doing with your actions and your heart being on the same playing field?