This world wants us to believe that our life is measured by the material blessings we have. To some degree, we all feed into that wrong message. For almost every special occasion, we celebrate by buying things for people. We thereby suggest that that’s what life is all about. This misconception about life is not bad in and of itself. We just have to keep things in proper perspective.
Jesus said, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15, NIV). These words go against the grain of modern day thinking. Consider the famous athletes and movie stars and their lifestyle. They drive luxury cars and live in mansions. We tend to say, based on those things, they are living the life. But that is a misconception about life. Jesus said life is not about amassing lots of stuff.
Our concept of life matters because it determines how we live our life. It goes without saying that if you have the wrong concept about life, the way you live your life will be wrong.
For instance, some people believe no such place as heaven or hell exists. They believe all roads in life lead to the grave—end of story. That is, we all live, we die, we are buried, and that’s the end of it.
Those who embrace this misconception about life are hard to reach for Christ. They live their life as if no eternal consequences exist. These see no need to make any peace with God. Some of them view Christians who try to reach them with the gospel as religious nuts.
Christ Is the Sole Source of True Life
If a person views life as a measure of material possessions and worldly success, he will give his heart and soul for those things. But Jesus says, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10, KJV).
According to this verse, without Christ, one does not have life because He is the one who came to give life. And by life I mean true life and not what the world calls life. This true life that comes only through a personal relationship with Christ.
A person may have excellent physical well-being, based on his health assessment. He may enjoy a superb quality of life, based on his material wealth and earthly success. But true life comes only through Christ. Without it, one is yet dead though he “lives”!
Not only did Jesus say that He came so we might have life, but also that we might have it more abundantly. The enemy and the world wants us to believe that Christ came to take the fun and joy out of living. No doubt, that is why some unbelievers reject the idea of accepting Christ. I am sure that most, if not all, of us were so deceived in the past. But the truth is that Christ came that we might experience true life in abundance.
Biblical Reminders about Worldly Wealth
This post is not a put down of wealth and material blessings. God is on board with His people being blessed. He gives us all things richly to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17). But these things do not define our life. Even some of today’s preacher fail to teach on material blessings with balance. As God blesses you in this world, here are some things to bear in mind.
1. “You cannot serve God and wealth” (Matthew 6: 24, NASB).
2. “The one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the world, and it becomes unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22, NASB).
3. “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:10, NASB).
Copyright © 2022 by Frank King. All rights reserved.