Tuesday 4 March 2008

Tuesday Reading: 1 Timothy 6:6-10
 
Key Verse: 1 Timothy 6:8
8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
 
Devotion:
It is sad to see some people making a trade of Christianity. They go all out to make money from being a Christian or make money from starting a church or something similar. Each one of us has been directed to take good care of all that is God’s. In other words, we have to take good care of everything. Not only that, but those things that Christ has allowed us to have, we should be good stewards of them – in other words, look after them well!
 
Nothing physical that we gain here in our lives will be able to be taken with us when we die. No belongings, no money, no wealth, no comforts, nothing. Christ is the author of this world and He certainly does know what is best for us. If we are willing to allow Him to guide us in our lives, then we will be getting the best possible advice for our lives. He is not going to give us a whole bunch of money unless He is sure that we need it to do His work. But if He does allow us to gain that money and we do not use it for His works, then do you really expect that He will continue to allow you to have it?
 
The more that we gain, the more we abuse our gains to either gain more, or worse, to subdue others… How many times have you boasted about getting something just to show that you have more than them? How many times have you actually used what has been given to you for their betterment rather than your own gain? God is very careful in giving us things because of our built-up temptation that will ruin His gift. He will not give us those gifts until we are ready to receive them! It is not the money that is the evil part, it is the lust we have that we exercise when we have it that is the evil part. As long as we are willing to allow God to be in control, we will not go down that lustful path with the gifts He gives us…
 
Points to Ponder:
How often do you receive gifts?
 
How often do you use those gifts for others rather than yourself?