I recently watched a video of a newly-married couple who had their wedding outside in the middle of an apartment complex courtyard. They were going to be living there and wanted to invite all their neighbors. They couldn’t think of any greater way to tell others about Christ than share their wedding with them.
Around the same time, I read of another newly-married couple who had just built a brand new house. They were excited because it was “all they ever dreamed of.”
I found myself with mixed feelings. To say that I don’t sometimes want to be rich and have a nice house would be a lie. That would be great! But something about the other couple, the one that shared their wedding with their neighbors, convicts me.
Isn’t that what Jesus would have done? Jesus never built a house for Himself. He never was rich. He spoke adamantly against building personal wealth (Read Luke 12). Yet, so many of us American believers have rationalized that you can follow Jesus and build wealth at the same time.
Where Will You Be in Twenty Years?
I’ll tell you where you’ll be in twenty years if you tell me what you’re spending your life on right now. You can do the same for me. Whether we are people who follow Christ isn’t determined only by whether we go to church or read our Bibles, but by how we spend our lives–today.
How do you spend your money? Are you leveraging it to help others and build God’s kingdom? Or are you busy saving it for your next “all I ever dreamed of”?
What do you invest your time in? Movies? Sports? Fashion? Work? Do you schedule time to meet with God as you would your girlfriend? Are you a person who gives time to others, helping them on their journey? Or are you too busy “providing for your family”?
Where Is Your Focus?
I’ve noticed that it’s not so much how much a person has that distinguishes whether they’re following Christ, but where their focus is.
When I am struggling to follow Christ, it’s not so much that I’m working a day job, but that my focus is all about me and my family and how we can earn or save money. This happens even when I don’t have much money.
By getting the focus off of myself and back on the bigger picture, the value of work and money take their proper place and I am freer to invest in those God calls me to.
People who follow Christ spend their time and money on His glory. They get most excited and happy about things that bring Him pleasure.
What Do You Value?
What you spend your life on shows where you’re going. What brings you joy or makes you angry reveals what you value. Study the life of Solomon and you will see that it’s true.
If you value personal comfort and pleasure over seeing others released from poverty or leading others to experience Jesus Christ, you will end up empty and unfulfilled because that’s not why God created you. He created you to bring Him glory. To leverage every resource and opportunity for nudging others closer to Him.
Where You’re Going
Where are you going in life? I encourage you to answer the following questions. They will tell you where you’re headed:
- How do I spend my time?
- Where do I spend my money?
- Which opportunities do I take advantage of?
- What makes me most excited?
- What really upsets me?
