Historians confirm that a major, devastating earthquake took place in or near Colossae (the Lycus Valley) in A.D. 60 or 61, which would be around the time (A.D. 60-62) that most conservative theologians believe Paul was writing this epistle. It makes sense then why Paul is explaining Jesus’ role in the design, creation, and sustaining of the entire universe. The Jesus that they followed and served is no mere man (as if the previous verse, Colossians 1:15, had not already convinced them) but the architect of all that we know and see and even beyond. Additionally, He created the cosmos for Himself and His own glory. It is His to do with as He pleases. 

Every aspect of the blueprint of creation was conceived in the mind of Jesus, the Galilean carpenter. He is the master architect and the artisan that wove together the fabric of all that is – from the most overwhelmingly expansive galaxies to the microscopic electrons and neutrons that are the foundation of all matter. Jesus is the grand designer who spoke all of this into existence. Paul says that all things – “in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities”- were created by and through Him. In other words, nothing (and I mean nothing) known or unknown is outside of His creative and sovereign power. The apostle John elaborates: “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). 

So all things were made “by” Jesus and “through” Jesus but, just as impressively, all things are sustained by Him. In Colossians 1:17 the phrase “in him all things hold together” could be translated “in Him all things cohere” or “all things subsist”. The point is clear; he is the “divine superglue” that keeps the universe from unraveling. In other words, without the sustaining Christ it is not an ordered cosmos but a disintegrating chaos. Look around you (and really look and not just “see”)”: everything you see or hear (including yourself) is being perpetually sustained by Christ. Without His creative attention all things would vaporize into nothingness. 

But the main truth I want us to absorb is that “all things were created…for him”. Although Jesus allows those in Him to enjoy His creation (1 Timothy 6:17), ultimately He created it for Himself. And, as part of His creation, He created us for Himself! Here’s the point: You and I are not the point! Jesus Christ is, always has been, and always will be the point. And everything points to Him because all things were created by Him, through Him and for Him!

It has been said that Americans hold nothing sacred but “self”. Garrison Keillor calls it “raging narcissism” and it has infected Western Christianity. We are “converted” not to turn to Christ and point all things to Him but because “Christianity” provides us a better way to live and “fire insurance”. We see conversion as a way of finding and fulfilling ourselves, as a road to self-discovery and not God discovery. We serve to be seen of men and not to encourage men to see our Savior. We give to feel spiritual and get a tax deduction not with joyful sacrifice. Christian self-help books (Is that not an oxymoron?) fly off the shelves as God is perceived as some kind of fairy godfather that has been put in place to satisfy our every carnal whim and alleviate all of our wants, problems, and tribulations. Suffering is now for the sinners and not the saints. Why? Because we have forgotten (or choose not to believe) that all things are created for Him and not us. Following Jesus is not about us – it is about Him! 

We would be wise to heed and be transformed by the writer of Hebrews bold proclamation about Jesus: 

“… putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering” (Hebrews 2:8-10). 

One day all will bow before him (Philippians 2:10) because all things, including us, were created by Him, through Him and for Him!

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18).

Worldly wealth should always take a back seat to growing in Christ. “For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away” (James 1:11)

Paul says it like this, “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy” (1 Tim 6:17).

But if that perspective is clear, the wealth of this world can and should become a tool for us to serve in the calling that He has for you.

Dueteronomy 8 lays out exactly what God thinks about this subject. The entire chapter is instructive of how God looks at our place in this world. How He provides and leads us wanting the best for us both spiritually and in this world, as long as our focus stays on Him.

“But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth”

He wants us to steward wealth for Him as long as we keep our focus on Him.

Share this post. It may be just what someone needs.

Dear Vanessa,

I was just recently married, and both my husband and I are working and going to school.   We budget every penny.  I feel so exhausted and cannot see the light in this.  I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel but it is overwhelming at times.  Sometimes I can’t even scrape up enough money for the extras – like having a coffee.   Do you have any helpful hints on how to get through this time?

In deep,

Chelsea

Dearest Chelsea,

Sometimes it feels like we are working so hard and cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel.   Life can feel overwhelming and difficult.    But God promises us that we will have abundance in this life.  However, He never said  it wouldn’t take work.

For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 (NIV)

He gave us so much to enjoy, but we have to use our hands to enjoy the rewards.

I remember a time when my husband and I began our life journey, and we lived in a basement suite.  At the time I was a hairdresser and he worked in a grocery store.   Looking back, I do think we got too serious about life too quickly and did not enjoy it to the fullest.  Although we didn’t have a lot of discretionary money, we seemed to muddle through things.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself “Enjoy the now”.

Enjoying the now means

• Being present
• Loving each other and not putting too much pressure in achieving what “society sets as a standard”
• Giving of ourselves – helping others that are in need (this can be in small or big ways)
• Having more doesn’t make life more full
• Loving our family and friends and spending our time with them as much as possible

It is easy to get caught up in everything around us.   Everywhere you look people are looking to physically attain wealth or the material “things” in this world.  But ultimately when it comes down to it, wealth comes from love.

Love of ones self,

Love of family,

Love of friends,

And Love for others (our neighbours).

Seems simple right?   But it can be so difficult, we have to pull ourselves back.   We have to learn how to refocus, reprioritize and not worry too much about getting to the finish line on time.

Paul told Timothy, “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” (1 Timothy 6:17)

Rest your mind my friend, and trust in the Lord in all things.    Present your worries to Him and He will answer.  Sometimes it is not in our time, but in his time.  So remember, be patient.

Lastly, I came across this wonderful poem the other day that really sums up how we should focus in this life:

Recipe of Life

“Begin with a case of Joy,

Add a heaping spoonful of gratitude,

Fold in a large dollop of kindness,

Stir in a handful of Forgiveness,

Sprinkle liberally with Love and cover with Peace,

Always serve with a large scale of Faith.” (author Unknown)

What a wonderful way to navigate through life.  May you be blessed beautiful lady.

Dear Lord God,

You know our worries, fears and anxieties.  I lift up the worries of Chelsea and any other individuals that are finding it difficult to make a go of it.  Help them, pour your wisdom, faith and discernment into their lives.   Guide them in their day-to-day activities.  Teach them to realize that through You, we can rest.  I pray for this in Jesus’ Name Amen.

Blessings to you beautiful lady,

Vanessa

If you have a question for Vanessa please email her at nesschesters@gmail.com

You can also read Vanessa’s personal blog and journey at www.nesschesters.wordpress.com

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ~1 Timothy 6:17

Several years ago, my husband and I listened to a series of sermons by Andy Stanley, pastor of Northpoint Community Church in Atlanta, the message of which has stuck with us and become part of our family lingo over time. I don’t remember the title of the series, but I remember that Stanley spent the first sermon or two convincing his congregation that they did, in fact, fall into the category of the materially wealthy, especially compared to the breadth of poverty on an international scale. In his humorous way, Stanley described numerous “rich people problems,” to which most of us in this affluent society, and particularly in the middle class of this affluent society, can relate. His idea was that if we can admit that we’re rich, then we can receive the messages that Scripture teaches for those who are rich—the specific guidelines and commands that God’s Word lays out for those of us who are blessed to posses wealth in this world.

More recently I’ve noticed a phrase floating about social media that is a softened twist on Stanley’s “rich people problems”—apparently such things are often called “first world issues.” This term seems a bit euphemistic to me, perhaps because I learned Andy Stanley’s more frank way of putting it first, but both phrases point at the idea that such “problems” or “issues” aren’t really all that problematic in the grand scheme of life on this broken earth. Having been to Haiti on six brief trips when I was in high school and college, I have glimpsed just enough poverty to know that I am indeed quite rich. And so, occasionally, my husband and I will catch ourselves grumbling about something that’s happened in our lives and we’ll smile at each other and say, “It’s a rich people problem.”

Now all this is not to say that God doesn’t care about the details of our lives, or that our day-to-day difficulties should just be shrugged off without account. Rather, I believe He does actually care about what matters to us, as well as how we respond to the circumstances we face. But ultimately He wants to transform that which matters most to us to be identical to that which matters most to Him. And so, even though I know it won’t permanently cure me from sometimes offering prayers that seek more for my own comfort than for that which captures the heart and passion of God, I thought it might be a worthwhile exercise to express some of my “rich people problems” in order to put them into perspective. A perspective that says that such things, while they do matter to me on a momentary basis, really don’t matter at all in light of eternity, or even in light of the bigger picture of what is happening in this fallen world. A perspective that says that inherent in each of these “problems” are blessings worth counting. So without further ado, here are some of my very own and even relatively recent “rich people problems”…

… when the electricity goes out during a snowstorm and our gas logs just can’t quite keep the house as warm as the central heat.

… when our toilet clogs and requires plunging.

… when, in spite of a closet and a dresser full of clothing, I seem to have nothing at all appropriate to wear for a certain event.

… when I have to do at least one load of laundry every day just to keep up.

… when it takes me nearly an hour to clean our double-sink bathroom.

… when the weeds in our flower bed are numerous and the grass in our yard is high.

… when I have to throw out leftovers from a meal I made a week ago, because we didn’t eat them before they started to go bad and they are cluttering up my fridge.

… when I’m baking a casserole and it bubbles over and drips down into the bottom of the oven and sets off the smoke detector.

… when we realize that our dishwasher has been leaking underneath of the kitchen flooring, causing the linoleum to bubble up in multiple places.

… when one of my two pillows rains feathers all over the bedroom every time I change the pillowcase.

… when my car won’t start.

… when I’m running low on gas at the same moment that I’m running behind on time.

… when I feel embarrassed for friends to see our two-car garage because it is dirty and disorganized.

… when we forget to put our trash out at the curb in time for the garbage truck to pick it up.

… when I burn my tongue on my Starbucks latte.

… when the new curtains I chose for our bedroom don’t quite match the quilt on our bed.

… when our ice dispenser clogs and spills ice all over the kitchen floor as the freezer door is opened.

… when my laptop freezes.

… when my printer runs out of ink and I don’t have another cartridge on hand.

… when our internet is down on the very morning that I’m supposed to be sending out a newsletter mailing to over 350 email addresses.

… when I’m talking on my cell phone in the car and it drops the call nearly every time I go over the ridge into our neighborhood.

… when my husband’s job calls him to come into work unexpectedly on a Sunday afternoon when he wasn’t even supposed to be on call.

… when I’m picking up the plethora of toys and books strewn across the floor in three different rooms for the fourth time today.

I could go on and on—this is my life we’re talking about after all—but those are just a few every-day “problems” that I run into on occasion. And having listed them here, I do see them in perspective. I see that my life is full to the brim of blessings—blessings of relational and material wealth. And I desire to use those blessings for the glory of my King, rather than complaining when they cause me inconvenience.

Now I’d better go fold that laundry…

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy— (1 Timothy 6:17 KJV)

Sandy was the largest storm (1000 miles in circumference) on record to smash into the US east coast. Dozens lost their lives, some 8 million people lost power, and the damage to property is estimated to be north of $50 billion. I talked with a close friend this morning from Connecticut, and he told of the devastation. He ended by saying, “Our family is safe and that’s all that matters. Our things might be gone, but we’re safe.”

About the same time as Sandy was coming on shore and a year after his death, Steve Jobs’ 256 foot super yacht was launched. Think of the gazillions of dollars and all Jobs’ time and effort invested in this yacht that he will never sail.

People invest so much money and time in accumulating things that are so fragile and uncertain. I Timothy 6:17 cautions us, “Do not fix your hope on the uncertainty of riches, but only on God.”

We are called by the Lord to be faithful stewards of all that He entrusts to us. We are to work hard, to give generously, to get out of debt and to save and invest. BUT, we must live with an eyes focused on eternity. What are we doing today that the Lord will consider a big thing throughout all eternity?

Do we have a proper perspective of our stuff . . . that it is all temporary and we’ll leave it all behind? BUT we can use it to influence others for Jesus Christ.

Think about it and grow,

Warmly in Christ,
Howard

Materialism – What Are You Storing Up?

Materialism is the tendency to care too much for the things of this world and to neglect spiritual needs. It is a life focus that causes a person to be more concerned about what they have or wish to have than about what they are or what God wants them to be. There are materialistic people in every economic bracket.  A “materialist” is a person who cares too much for the things of this world and neglects spiritual needs – theirs and others. Many times a materialist’s self-interest determines their conduct or behavior. As a Christian we must guard our thoughts about the things of this world (money, things), consider our rewards in eternity, and guard our relationship with God.

Matthew 6:19-21  NKJV     “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  

I. Guard Our Thoughts About The Things Of This World

God, not man, decides who will be blessed. God is in control of everything, therefore we should not be jealous of others when God blesses them. There will be people that will go through this life materially rich and there will be people that go through this life materially poor. Many times God will give wealth and honor to the materially poor in other ways.

1 Samuel 2:7  NKJV     “The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and He lifts up.”  

          Whatever situation we find ourselves in (rich or poor) the Bible tells us that godliness with contentment is great gain. It is not wrong to want a “better life” or “better things”, however it is wrong when it is at the expense of your soul.

 1 Timothy 6:6-10  NKJV     “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing  into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”  

          When a person places more emphasis on gaining riches than they do on their relationship with God (those desiring to be rich), it creates a lack of contentment and godliness within them that leads to greed. Greed will lead a person into temptation and creates a lust within them. Many times these material desires will lead a person away from God, costing them their very soul.

II. Consider Our Rewards In Eternity

We need to think about the rewards we will receive in heaven, not about acquiring a lot of things here in this life. This life and the “things” in it will pass away and the only “things” that will last forever are the treasures (and rewards) that we have laid up for ourselves in heaven.

Matthew 6:19-21  NKJV     “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  

         The above verse does not mean that it is a sin to have assets (insurance, retirement plans, savings accounts), but it does tell us not to give priority to gaining treasures here on this earth. Christians should be more concerned about laying up treasure in heaven than having treasure here on earth. We must not be like the rich man in the twelfth chapter of Luke who tries to hoard things.

Luke 12:16-21  NKJV     “Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”                              

III. Guard Our Relationship With God

Some people neglect their relationship with God when they begin to accumulate a lot of things. In the end they will lose everything, including their soul. Wealth will not help in judgment.

Mark 8:34-36  NKJV          “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul?” 

          When we stand before God, He will not be concerned with how much money (or things) we had, however, He will be concerned with our relationship with Him and our relationship with others. While pursuing wealth, did we love others? How did we treat people?

James 5:1-5  NKJV      “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of the Sabaoth. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in the days of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the just, he does not resist you.”  

          We must not mistreat others while trying to gain wealth. In everything that we do we must remember the two greatest commandments, love God and love others.

Mark 12:28-33  NKJV     “Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’ Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: `Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandments greater than these.’ ”  

Conclusion:

When God does bless you materially you must not become high-minded or proud. Nor should you put your trust in your money (riches). Each of us must remember that only God can provided for all our needs.

1 Timothy 6:17   NKJV     “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives to us richly all things to enjoy.”  

          Those who are materially wealthy are commanded to recognize and honor God as the source of their wealth. The blessings that God has given these people are to be used for the advancement of His kingdom, not for self-centered living. Their blessings are to be shared with others and enjoyed by many.

1 Timothy 6:18  NKJV     “Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share”  

          Our obedience to God (even concerning money, blessings) builds a good foundation for the time to come (eternity).

1 Timothy 6:19  NKJV     “storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”  

          A Christian’s works (deeds) will be evaluated in heaven.

1 Corinthians 3:13-15  NKJV     “…each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”  

“Make up your mind that the Creator made you to enjoy life and to have all the good things in this world necessary to your well-being and moral and spiritual growth. Think large for yourself; God did not set for you the narrow limit which you have in mind. Limitations in thought will certainly produce limitation in possession.”

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

1 John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

Marden, continued: “The Creator never made people to limp along the starvation line; there are enough resources in the world to make everybody well, comfortable, happy, and contested.”

3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as the soul prospereth. 

1 Timothy 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.

One of the things I hate to hear in life is complaining. It drives me crazy!  There are some people complain constantly and there is nothing ever right in their lives. They are many times people people who always have some sort of drama happening. There is always someone sick in their family or there is always a stressful situation going on at work with others around them, there is always something. The problem that I see here with these people is they do not realize that everyone has sick people in their families or stressful situations going on at work or around them. The fail to realize that there is always something for everyone. They fail to understand this and they miss out and fail to enjoy the life that they have been blessed with because their focus is all wrong.

As we start a New Year, I want to encourage you begin to enjoy your life. If you already enjoy it – I want you to enjoy it some more and if you do not enjoy it – I want you to see that it is a spiritual thing to enjoy life!

Let us begin this by looking at 1 Timothy 6:17, Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. -NAS

Do you see the word enjoy there at the end of the verse? Here is what enjoy means – taking pleasure or satisfaction in something.

In life we sometimes get stuck in faulty thinking and many times we always think we will really enjoy ourselves when…I turn 18, when I turn 21, when I turn 30, when I retire, when I make enough money, when I can afford that new car, when I can get that job, when I get that promotion, when I get married, when I have kids, when the kids move out, when I get the really good job and make a lot of money, when everything is perfect, when I….

We all have a tendency to think that with money, age, status, retirement, good health, fame, or a nice car will be that one thing that will brings us to the point where we will really then begin to enjoy life. So in many ways we think that life will be enjoyable later and think we really have nothing to celebrate in life now. We think things like,”There is nothing in my life that I can celebrate now but later I will be able to”. For many, this faulty thinking follows them through life.

Sometime the faulty thinking leads them down this line of thinking.  They think that enjoyment of life is sinful or wrong because we always have to be dead serious. They think that there can be no enjoyment in the church or life because that is wrong because Jesus never really enjoyed himself.

People when you talk about enjoying life on a daily basis ask questions like: Can you really enjoy everything?  Is everyday a celebration? Can everyday be a party?

Look at these verses from Ecclesiastes from a variety of versions and see what they say about the enjoying of life.

Ec 2:24 – Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. – NKJV

Ec 2:25 – For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? – NLT

Ec 3:12 – So I concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they can. – NLT

Ec 3:13 – And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. -NLT

Ec 3:22 – We were meant to enjoy our work, and that’s the best thing we can do. We can never know the future. -CEV

Ec 5:18 – Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. – NKJV

Ec 7:14 – On a good day, enjoy yourself; On a bad day, examine your conscience…. – Message

I will spend more time this week talking about what it means to enjoy life but for now let me ask you these questions:

What are two things that you really enjoy in life?  Does complaining drive you crazy?  Have you ever been stuck in the  faulty thinking of “When I”?

One of the things I hate to hear in life is complaining. It drives me crazy!  There are some people complain constantly and there is nothing ever right in their lives. They are many times people people who always have some sort of drama happening. There is always someone sick in their family or there is always a stressful situation going on at work with others around them, there is always something. The problem that I see here with these people is they do not realize that everyone has sick people in their families or stressful situations going on at work or around them. The fail to realize that there is always something for everyone. They fail to understand this and they miss out and fail to enjoy the life that they have been blessed with because their focus is all wrong.

As we start a New Year, I want to encourage you begin to enjoy your life. If you already enjoy it – I want you to enjoy it some more and if you do not enjoy it – I want you to see that it is a spiritual thing to enjoy life!

Let us begin this by looking at 1 Timothy 6:17, Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. -NAS

Do you see the word enjoy there at the end of the verse? Here is what enjoy means – taking pleasure or satisfaction in something.

In life we sometimes get stuck in faulty thinking and many times we always think we will really enjoy ourselves when…I turn 18, when I turn 21, when I turn 30, when I retire, when I make enough money, when I can afford that new car, when I can get that job, when I get that promotion, when I get married, when I have kids, when the kids move out, when I get the really good job and make a lot of money, when everything is perfect, when I….

We all have a tendency to think that with money, age, status, retirement, good health, fame, or a nice car will be that one thing that will brings us to the point where we will really then begin to enjoy life. So in many ways we think that life will be enjoyable later and think we really have nothing to celebrate in life now. We think things like,”There is nothing in my life that I can celebrate now but later I will be able to”. For many, this faulty thinking follows them through life.

Sometime the faulty thinking leads them down this line of thinking.  They think that enjoyment of life is sinful or wrong because we always have to be dead serious. They think that there can be no enjoyment in the church or life because that is wrong because Jesus never really enjoyed himself.

People when you talk about enjoying life on a daily basis ask questions like: Can you really enjoy everything?  Is everyday a celebration? Can everyday be a party?

Look at these verses from Ecclesiastes from a variety of versions and see what they say about the enjoying of life.

Ec 2:24 – Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. – NKJV

Ec 2:25 – For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? – NLT

Ec 3:12 – So I concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they can. – NLT

Ec 3:13 – And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. -NLT

Ec 3:22 – We were meant to enjoy our work, and that’s the best thing we can do. We can never know the future. -CEV

Ec 5:18 – Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. – NKJV

Ec 7:14 – On a good day, enjoy yourself; On a bad day, examine your conscience…. – Message

I will spend more time this week talking about what it means to enjoy life but for now let me ask you these questions:

What are two things that you really enjoy in life?  Does complaining drive you crazy?  Have you ever been stuck in the  faulty thinking of “When I”?

A popular African proverb states that, ‘The world only knows a rich man.’ And to the best of my knowledge this is true.

Have you ever heard about the death of a common man? Were you ever being informed, in the newspaper, on the life of that destitute living by the roadside on your street? BUT you will be one of the first persons to know any recent events about the wealthy man living next door. You must have noticed how some of your church members are revered than the others and you would have known this is because of their affluent statues. The same goes for your colleagues and the people you rob shoulders with in your every-day life.

A man’s life, as far as our society is concerned, is defined by the amount of money he has in his pocket. However this is not the best. Must we respect some people more than the others because of their wealth?

God treats us, equally. He does not choose us based on our possessions. That some of us are better off than the others has nothing to do with the kingdom of God. We are one in God’s eyes. He loves us the way we are. He loves us individually and does not discriminate. His love for us is undivided irrespective of the level of education or the possession we’ve accumulated.

If we must flaunt our money then let us use it to help others. Use it wisely and not try to please everybody when you knew this is to your own discomfort. The best way is to help the orphanage, the homeless, the street children, the sick, the old ones, the handicaps, the mentally deranged and the poor parents. That a man is poor does not mean he should not work. God does not encourage laziness. In fact the Lord wants us to be hardworking and be productive.

It is a privilege to be rich. I encourage it because if we all are poor, how can we have a balanced society? How can we help one another?  Notwithstanding, putting our wealth first before God is a detriment to our salvation. The word of God warns us of the numerous dangers on this.

Let us not think that because we are rich that we are better off than the others. Let us not give pride and ego to destroy the sweet relationship we suppose to have with God. Let us not forget that Christianity is solely about equality and love.