“Enter The Kingdom Of God

 

 

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"

"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."

Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"

Mark 10:17-23

Money can change us, for the better and for the worse. If we have too much we get cocky and prideful. If we have too little, we steal from others. Pray to God that you be given what He wants you to have. What He gives you will fill your needs.

It is not that Jesus is against wealth. It’s just that He is against anything that we value more than Him. We can work hard to make money, but when those things are the main pursuit of life, then Jesus isn’t. Placing Him first and foremost in our lives is the key to true prosperity.

Don’t let riches – or the pursuit of riches – derail your pursuit of Jesus.

Our Daily BreadAugust 17, 2010