Mat 6:24 "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. NIV
The Bible has a lot to say about money. It does not say that money is evil, but it does say the the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (1 Tim 6:10). If we love money we are apt to focus on accumulating and hoarding it, rather than using it to do worthwhile things.
Even though I've been in a wheelchair since childhood due to polio, with limited breathing, strength, and stamina, I've worked as much as I could. This year colon cancer, a heart attack, and other health problems have further limited my ability to work.
Nevertheless, I still spend much of my time online seeking to earn modest sums of money. It wasn't amounting to much, but it was taking up quite a bit of the time when I used my computer to be online. I was attempting to find a way to earn the kind of income I had when I was able to serve customers around town as an AVON representative.
Am I spending the time I have appropriately? Which would serve God better: my earning small amounts of money online and sharing it with my church, or using my writing and teaching abilities to share with others what I learn from Scripture?
My health problems have landed me in the hospital repeatedly this year, and may continue to do so. I just turned 63, and it's unlikely I'll ever be able to hold a well paying job that involves a significant amount of work time. So how should I spend the time God gives me that I can be on the computer?
I'm thinking that I should blog more. Still spend some time seeking to earn money online, but do more blogging about things that involve growing in understanding about what God has to say to us in the Bible.
God is more important than money. Money is useful and can help us do some things. But God is everlasting. I think I should seek to serve Him the best I can rather than just spending a lot of time trying to earn a bit more money.
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post.
Showing posts with label what to do. Show all posts
Showing posts with label what to do. Show all posts
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Thursday, March 31, 2011
What to Do and How to Do It
Col 3:16-17 & 23 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.....Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. NIV
Before you decide how to do something it's rather important to determine what to do. These three verses from Paul's letter to the Colossians teach us about both.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly" is a good start. The word of Christ can include what we read in the Bible that Jesus Himself spoke. It can also include what was written by those whom Jesus taught, including Paul. Only when we know what our Lord and Savior and Teacher has said can we really know what we're supposed to do.
Of course it is possible to read something Jesus teaches and take it out of the context of the surrounding verses and the context of the Bible as a whole. That's why it's good to have godly pastors, teachers, and fellow Bible study and Sunday school friends, for then we can teach and when necessary admonish one another pertaining to what Christ wants us to know.
Listening to and singing songs that actually line up with the truth of Scripture can also help remind us of what what we are called to do. For example, we're called to have gratitude. And we're called to praise God.
As we learn what God wants us to do, next we need to know how to do it. Not just the particulars of step by step how to accomplish things like caring for orphans and widows and supporting those who bring the gospel to people around the world. We also need to do what we're called to do as well as we possibly can with the help of God.
We who have been bought by Christ belong to God as adopted children in His family and members of the Body of Christ with Jesus being the Head of this Body. When we do the things God wants us to do we are doing so as those who belong to Christ.
When we therefore do things in a shoddy and haphazard way we are representing Jesus in a way that is demeaning and degrading in regards to who He is.
This segment of the letter about working with all your heart as to the Lord and not to men was addressed to slaves who had become believers in Christ. But it can apply to all Christians because all Christians have been bought by the shed blood of Christ.
I need to give this matter more of the contemplation that it deserves. I want to seek to clearly know what God wants me to do. Then I want to do those things wholeheartedly. When I'm doing things to help provide for my wife, and church, and those in need, or give encouragement to family and friends, I don't want to it halfheartedly. I want to do it with as much God given ability and perseverance that He enables me to have.
If we make good use of the Bible and good Bible teaching, we can learn how to love God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love our neighbor (anybody who needs help) as ourselves. Then we'll be doing what we're supposed to be doing and doing it the way we're supposed to be doing it.
Before you decide how to do something it's rather important to determine what to do. These three verses from Paul's letter to the Colossians teach us about both.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly" is a good start. The word of Christ can include what we read in the Bible that Jesus Himself spoke. It can also include what was written by those whom Jesus taught, including Paul. Only when we know what our Lord and Savior and Teacher has said can we really know what we're supposed to do.
Of course it is possible to read something Jesus teaches and take it out of the context of the surrounding verses and the context of the Bible as a whole. That's why it's good to have godly pastors, teachers, and fellow Bible study and Sunday school friends, for then we can teach and when necessary admonish one another pertaining to what Christ wants us to know.
Listening to and singing songs that actually line up with the truth of Scripture can also help remind us of what what we are called to do. For example, we're called to have gratitude. And we're called to praise God.
As we learn what God wants us to do, next we need to know how to do it. Not just the particulars of step by step how to accomplish things like caring for orphans and widows and supporting those who bring the gospel to people around the world. We also need to do what we're called to do as well as we possibly can with the help of God.
We who have been bought by Christ belong to God as adopted children in His family and members of the Body of Christ with Jesus being the Head of this Body. When we do the things God wants us to do we are doing so as those who belong to Christ.
When we therefore do things in a shoddy and haphazard way we are representing Jesus in a way that is demeaning and degrading in regards to who He is.
This segment of the letter about working with all your heart as to the Lord and not to men was addressed to slaves who had become believers in Christ. But it can apply to all Christians because all Christians have been bought by the shed blood of Christ.
I need to give this matter more of the contemplation that it deserves. I want to seek to clearly know what God wants me to do. Then I want to do those things wholeheartedly. When I'm doing things to help provide for my wife, and church, and those in need, or give encouragement to family and friends, I don't want to it halfheartedly. I want to do it with as much God given ability and perseverance that He enables me to have.
If we make good use of the Bible and good Bible teaching, we can learn how to love God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love our neighbor (anybody who needs help) as ourselves. Then we'll be doing what we're supposed to be doing and doing it the way we're supposed to be doing it.
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