Daily Prayer - Money for nothing

Good Friday morning, my friends.

This morning I listened to two very interesting perspectives on the same topic - money.  The first was a sermon by Andy Stanley (as you will have realized by now, I love listening to podcasts of his sermons), and the second was a CBC interview with an "expert on happiness" (I kid you not).

The sermon was focused on Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount:

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well"  (Matthew 6:24, 31-33)

The radio interview (and I only heard the first part of it) was asking the question "Can money but happiness?"  The answer, which should be no surprise to us, was "yes, but only temporarily".  Impulse buying can make us happy in the short term, but has no lasting effect.  In fact it can be quite detrimental.  However, the expert went on, spending money on other people brings more happiness.  Go figure!  Tis better to give than to receive?? Where have I heard that before???

Anyway, Jesus' teaching hits home for me.  Jesus is saying if you are worrying about your mortgage, the debt load you are carrying, paying for your kids education, retirement, etc. then you are basically a pagan.  A pagan is someone who does not believe there is a God who will provide for them so they have to look after themselves.  A pagan relies on their own wealth for security.  What God wants from us is an open hand, not an empty hand.  He wants to be able to take things out of our hands (take things away from us) but also be able to put things into our hands (blessings of many kinds) and trust that He will provide all that we need and more. Seek first His will for our lives, and live in His righteousness.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce

"Two things I ask of you, Lord;
    do not refuse me before I die:

Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
    give me neither poverty nor riches,
    but give me only my daily bread.

Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
    and say, 'Who is the Lord?'
Or I may become poor and steal,
    and so dishonor the name of my God."

(Proverbs 9:7-9)