James 1:9-11
A Christian who doesn’t amount to
much in this world should be glad, for he is great in the Lord’s sight.
But a rich man should be glad that his riches mean nothing to the Lord,
for he will soon be gone, like a flower that has lost its beauty and
fades away, withered—killed by the scorching summer sun. So it is with
rich men. They will soon die and leave behind all their busy activities.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
In our daily newspaper, I read the heart-wrenching story by New York Times
reporter Liz Alderman of a 28-year-old Syrian woman and her four young
children who are detained in a refugee camp in Idomeni, Greece. The
family spends their days foraging for food and begging for help for this
mother and her dusty, mosquito-bite-covered children. They are dirty,
hungry, tired, and frustrated. Promises of aid have not
materialized…and this mother told Alderman that she would have stayed in
Syria and taken her chances, had she known it would be like this. The
tone of despair in this report was palpable…and I have to tell you, I
was somewhat ashamed of my own material “wealth.”
Just by virtue
of where we live, most of us are “rich” by much of the world’s
standards. And yet, many of us perpetually crave more. We measure our
wealth – and our worth – in dollars and cents. We constantly compare
ourselves to others…and we work pretty hard to keep up with them!
Today,
Greg and I have been married for 42 years. We celebrated by going out
to breakfast at a local diner – and we took Greg’s mother with us! We
enjoyed every bite of the meal – and the company – as we reminisced
about the years we’ve shared. God has blessed us with more than our
portion of “creature comforts” throughout our marriage…but He has also
given us a strong bond with our family. We are rich in His love…and in
our relationships with family members and friends. We try to accumulate
memories and special experiences together rather than material
possessions and expendable resources. Don’t misunderstand…we have more
than plenty materially. But “things” do not matter nearly as much as
they once did…and we have learned to appreciate the joy and comfort in
simple pleasures.
We are both keenly aware how quickly life can
change. We look in the mirror and recognize that youth surely fades…and
“beauty” takes on a whole new meaning! We look around at those who
appear to have a good grasp on what makes a person truly “rich”…and we
notice that they are busy seeking God and serving Him rather than
worrying about their own “wealth” or appearance. They exude a joy and
peace that is captivating – and enviable – and we want this for
ourselves!!
I pray that we would never take our “wealth” for
granted…both the gift of God’s grace, mercy, and salvation through the
blood of Jesus – AND, the physical possessions that we have
accumulated. I pray that God would keep us humble – and grateful for
His abundance and the freedoms that we enjoy…that we would never grow
complacent about anything or anyone for even one minute!
Should
God see fit to give Greg and me more years together, I pray that we
will always recognize how rich we are in His love and blessings…and
always see each other through the “lens of love” that overlooks
wrinkles, age spots and gray hair. I pray that we would be busy sharing
God’s love rather than trying to make ourselves look younger or
impressive.
I pray that you would discover for yourself what
makes you “rich” in God’s eyes…that you would think of the young refugee
mother who just wants her children to be safe and fed - and thank God
that you enjoy these comforts every single day. This automatically
makes you richer than a large percentage of the world’s population,
praise God! Do you recognize how “wealthy” He has made you in all
things? Do your words and actions demonstrate your appreciation and
gratitude for His gifts and blessings? Isn’t it time they did?
How
“rich” are you today in the things that truly matter for all Eternity?
Aren’t you ready to find out, once and for all? Will this be the day
that you get started?
©2016 Debbie Robus
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