Tag Archives: God’s Character

How Do We Bring God Glory?

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The Gift Each One Has

We often talk about living a life that glorifies God, but what does that look like? How do we flesh that out? According to the Apostle Peter, we bring glory to God by yielding to His Spirit’s work to transform us into Christ’s likeness. He says: “Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others as good stewards of God’s varied grace. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever.” (1 Peter 4:10-11)

3 Points About God’s Glory

Peter seems to make three points about bringing God glory. First, God’s purpose for “gifting” us is to bring glory to Himself. Second, our motive, as we use our gifts, should be to glorify God with them. Finally, God’s method is to empower our gifts by His Spirit, so He gets the ultimate glory as they are being used. It’s ultimately God’s purpose to bring glory to Himself as we use the gifts He has given us! While the immediate interpretation of the “gifts” here is related to the “gifts of the Spirit,” in the broader context, it could be argued that Peter means for us to include our talents, abilities, and anything else that makes us uniquely “us.” God has given you everything that makes you you—all your gifts, talents, abilities, personality, outward appearance, etc. And, what Peter seems to be saying is that He’s given you all that for Him! For His Glory!

The Varied Grace of God

None of these things that are unique to us as individuals are to be used selfishly, nor do we have any reason to be arrogant or prideful about any of it, since it’s all been given to us by our gracious God! Everyone has been gifted by God— some more, some less— “according to the varied grace of God.” Then he offers two examples—of speaking and serving—and how these gifts are to be used only in such a way “that God may be glorified… to Him belong the glory and the power” (v. 11). God has purposely and intentionally given us all the “stuff” that makes us who we are so that we would bring Him glory as we use them, not for our own glory! Glory belongs to God alone, Peter says!

We Are Tools In God’s Hands

I’m not much of a handyman, but I have a great deal of appreciation for those men and women who are! I’ve found that most handy people have specialized tools for certain repairs. There’s a specific tool for everything! That’s how God purposes to use us. He’s made us all different with our unique gifts, personalities, and talents. We’re each a special tool in God’s tool chest, and He intends to use us in each specific instance to bring Himself greater glory. But God is only glorified when we use our gifts out of a motivation to see Him glorified— “use it,” Peter says, “as good managers of the varied grace of God” (v. 10). There’s an expectation of intentionality. Don’t just float through life, living off all the good gifts God has blessed you with. Manage well, so as to bring God glory in everything you do!

God Deserves All The Glory

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The Glory Due His Name

There’s a wonderful passage in the Old Testament that relates to the glory that God deserves. Here’s what King David says: “Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, give to the Lord glory and strength. Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!” (1 Chronicles 16:28-29). In my previous post, I talked about how God’s glory is a really big deal to God—and rightly so! David is also inspired by God’s Holy Spirit to declare God’s strength. Declare the Lord’s “…glory and strength…”

To His Glory

I find it interesting that David would point to God’s strength in the context of His glory! Why? Whenever we ask that question “why”—of a biblical text—it ought to serve as our cue to dig deeper! To study the verses surrounding it! So, if you look back at the preceding verses, David says that “…Yahweh is feared above all gods…” (little “g”) because “…all the gods of the peoples are idols…”; and, here’s the contrast—”…but, the LORD made the heavens…”; end v.27, “…strength & joy are in His place.” So, compared to false gods, Yahweh is all-powerful; or, omnipotent! It is to His Glory that, by His strength, He created the heavens! So, declare His strength! Someone once asked me that old philosopher’s question: “Can God create a rock so big that He can’t lift it?” I think the answer is “YES” He can create that rock! And, “YES” He can lift it! 

Declare God’s Glory In His Name

It’s to His glory that He is able to do anything and everything! Then, David tells us to declare God’s glory in His name! There are really two thoughts in that phrase: “…give to the Lord the glory due His name…” The first thought relates to His name. There’s a lot going on with a person’s name—if I say the name “Adolf Hitler,” that name evokes thoughts related to his character, doesn’t it? That name conjures up thoughts like dictator, anti-Semite, and murderer! The name of God, however, brings to mind thoughts of His love, mercy, grace, benevolence, etc. All that’s in His name; or, His character! Those traits describe who He is! He is just and righteous in everything He does! So, declare the glory related to His name!

Stealing God’s Glory

The second thought in that phrase, “…give to the Lord the glory due His name…” is this: He alone deserves all glory! The Apostle Paul wrote: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever” (Romans 11:36). He’s saying that, in fact, God has all glory! He alone had all glory before creation, right? There was nothing else until He created it! So, any glory that the creation has was given to it by God! The “glory” of a sunset is God’s glory! He gave the sunset its “glory”! It’s because of God’s glory that He hates pride—”pride” is man’s attempt to steal God’s glory! Whenever we’re proud of our work, we’re stealing glory from God who gave us the gifts and talents to do the work we do! Pride is acting like you didn’t receive it from God! Any praise we receive must be redirected to God for His glory!
 

God’s Glory Is A Big Deal

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The Beauty Of His Character

God deserves all glory because He alone has designed everything, and His name is on everything! It’s His name that adds value to humanity and to the rest of creation! So, when we speak about God’s glory, we define it as “the essence and beauty of His Spirit.” We’re not referring to His material or aesthetic beauty—like we typically define human beauty—but to the beauty of His character—to all that He is! John Piper defines God’s glory as “the manifest beauty of His holiness.” Holiness points to His absolute “uniqueness.” 

The Goal Of All Things

He is one-of-a-kind! He is in a totally separate class all by Himself! There is no other God like Him! “O nations of the world, recognize the Lord, recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his presence. Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor” (1 Chronicles 16:28-29, NLT). God’s glory is a really big deal to God, and it’s a big deal in the Holy Scriptures! The goal of all things is God’s glory! And I’m not overstating that one iota!

Creator and Creation

Let’s not forget that there is God and there is everything He created! That’s it! There is nothing else! And in the original creation—before sin—God declared that all of creation was good! Why? Because all of creation reflected God’s beauty, so it all brought Him… glory! In a similar fashion, we say that an artist’s painting is a reflection of the artist, and the artist’s work brings him a certain “glory!” God has blessed humanity with certain creative abilities, but they’re all small “c—creative” because all mankind’s creative abilities were received from the capital “C—Creator” God. So, every “artist”—who is a true disciple of Jesus—will redirect all praise received to Creator God! In part, that is one way that we bring God glory—by redirecting all praise and compliments received to God who created us with those abilities! We acknowledge that whatever talent or ability we have is on loan from God! It ultimately belongs to Him! Our greatest preoccupation must be with God’s glory because that’s our reason and purpose for existence!

Mandated To Give God Glory

Here’s an observation from the 1 Chronicles 16 text: the writer, King David, was inspired by God’s Spirit to offer this mandate regarding God’s glory. This is an imperative or a command to “declare God’s glory” (v.28). When David became king, he determined to make worship a priority again in Israel. One of his first acts was to return the Ark of the Covenant, which had been neglected under King Saul, back to Jerusalem. In the process, David preaches this great message that is included as the inspired Word of God. That means it’s authoritative—not because David said it, but because God inspired him to say it! So, “declare God’s glory,” he says! Don’t just study it and keep it to yourself. We’re commanded to declare it, and that’s a general statement that means to declare it everywhere to everyone.

The Glory Due His Name

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About New Year’s Resolutions

Why do resolutions at the start of a new year rarely work? I recently did a Google search for “New Year’s Resolutions” and came up with 18,600,000 hits in 0.54 seconds. There are more than 18 million articles, blogs, posts, sites, and news stories dedicated to the subject of New Year’s Resolutions! What does that mean? Well, I’d say, among other things, it means that people are always longing for change! They’re looking for strategies and formulas to help them eat less, exercise more, quit smoking…yada, yada, yada! Can I make an observation?

The Problem With Self-Focus

Full disclosure here—I am NOT against “New Year’s Resolutions”! I am not against “self-improvement”! But, I’ve come to believe that the reason New Year’s Resolutions and other methods for self-improvement aren’t very successful is because they’re all “self”-focused!  As a Bible believer and disciple of Jesus Christ, I agree with the doctrine of man’s fallenness. I see the depravity and brokenness in my own life. I’ve learned that I can’t trust my fallen nature, so I’m not surprised by my inability to keep promises and resolutions to myself. I need help. I need a Savior. Here’s what I’ve seen in my life and the lives of countless others through the years—when I quit focusing on myself and focus my heart, my thoughts, and my energy on Jesus Christ, change begins to happen.

What About God’s Glory?

Personal change happens when I stop being absorbed in myself and look at Jesus over and over again—meditate on Him and memorize His words. For change to take place, our greatest preoccupation must be with God and His glory. We exist for His glory. So, if we don’t live our lives for His glory, we miss our purpose, or our very reason for existence. We live a wasted life. I don’t like the sound of that, and I’m sure you don’t either. Preaching on the doctrine of “God’s glory” is difficult because it’s as deep as God’s character, which is eternal, inexhaustible, and indefinable. It’s also difficult because it’s easily misunderstood—“Why is God so concerned about His glory? He must be some kind of glory hog!” And then, it’s difficult to understand the part we play in bringing God glory, all of which means that we don’t really know how to define it adequately, do we?

A Working Definition Of Glory

Let me try to illustrate “glory” for you. While stopping at a store in Hollywood, Christian music artist Lecrae pulled a very ordinary, plain cotton T-shirt off a rack to check its price. Thinking it must be mismarked, he pulled another one only to find the same price on the tag. Incredulous, he approached the sales clerk to question the exorbitant price of $640. He was told that was the “special” sales price! When he asked what could possibly make it so special, the clerk said, “It’s the designer’s name on it that adds value to it.” Get the illustration? The reason God alone deserves all glory is because He’s the designer of everything. His name is on everything! And it’s His name that adds value to it! So, when we speak about God’s glory, we define it as “the essence and beauty of His Spirit,” or the beauty of His character.
 

Worship Is Giving Your All

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Worship Changes Us

When it’s genuine, worship CHANGES us! It seems to me that when Paul defines our “spiritual worship” as presenting “…your bodies as a living sacrifice…”, he interprets worship as a personal meeting with God that has such a redemptive and sanctifying impact on us that it CHANGES us (Romans 12:1-2). That’s what genuine worship does to us! Worship is not an exchange where we check it off of our spiritual “TO DO” list so God becomes obligated to give us something in return!

An Encounter With The Living God

Worship is nothing short of an encounter with the living, active, covenant-keeping God! It’s seeing how He humbled Himself and came to the planet that He created as a vulnerable baby, and gave His all on the cross for us so that He might gain our redemption! Worship is being so moved by His action that, in brokenness and humility, we seek nothing more in return; but, in the likeness of our Savior, we give our all back to Him—a living sacrifice! We’re undone! All of life becomes worship!  The Latin phrase “coram Deo” means “before the face of God,” and it’s used in the context of our worship because genuine worship is lived out everywhere and anywhere we find ourselves! Whether it’s our work, leisure, or family time, there is nothing “secular” that is outside “the face of God” or outside His authority or realm. All of life is sacred!

Don’t Compartmentalize Your Life

We cannot compartmentalize any sector of our life and claim it as ours or as something out of God’s reach. Paul tells the Church of Rome that spiritual worship is an intentional presentation of our bodies to God—“…present your bodies as a living sacrifice…” To what is Paul referring? The most obvious answer is the Old Testament sacrificial system, where a lamb was slaughtered in faith, believing that God would pass over the sin of the one sacrificing. But I think Paul intends for us to go deeper in our meditation on this passage and see the Lamb of God who became the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. Jesus was the final answer— “…once for all…” God said! “It is finished,” Jesus said. There would be no more dead sacrifices! 

The Mercies Of God

In these two verses, Paul says that it’s because of “…the mercies of God…” that we become “…holy and pleasing to God…” when we offer ourselves as a “living sacrifice” to Him! Worship has everything to do with our redemption. To “redeem” something means to restore it or to reclaim it so it can once again be used as it was intended. When Jesus made atonement for our sin on the cross, He “redeemed” us. It means He “reclaimed” us from the sin that had owned us since Adam’s fall, and He began a “restoration” process in us to make us what He originally meant for us to be. And He’ll complete that process on the day of our glorification when we see Him. Paul seems to infer that “worship” will become our “default setting” when we truly grasp all that Jesus gave for us, and we’ll want to do nothing less but give our all to Him!

This Is Your Spiritual Worship

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Last Post Until The New Year!

Defining Worship

Ask how the Bible defines worship, and you may be surprised how wide and inclusive the answer is! Many of us perceive worship to be limited to this narrow part of a church service we call singing. For others, you grew up in a tradition where ‘worship’ consisted of elaborate prayers spoken in the King James language—with all the ‘thees’ and ‘thous’—very ritualistic and done in a ‘sanctuary’ with stained-glass windows, lit candles, incense, and old classical sacred music with a pastor wearing a long, flowing robe. Each of those things can possibly contribute to authentic worship, provided the focus is on God and not some kind of warm, fuzzy, religious feeling you get from all those ‘accessories’.

Worship Is A Heart Attitude

Genuine worship is not an activity; it’s an attitude of the heart—originating in your inner being, or the real you, and it changes your life! I guess that’s pretty wide and inclusive, isn’t it? Real, genuine worship impacts your entire life because you’re occupied with God, your Creator! Worship is being occupied with God’s character, with who He is—His love, His grace, His mercy, His kindness, His benevolence, His justice, His righteousness! It’s to praise Him for being a good Father, a faithful friend, and an indwelling Spirit who transforms us into His likeness as we’re engaged in genuine worship and reflect on His beauty!

Worship Makes Us Better

In other words, worship will gradually reform us into His likeness—we become more loving, gracious, merciful, kind, benevolent, just, and righteous! We become better fathers and mothers. We become more faithful friends, all because we’re focused and occupied with God in worship. Romans 12:1-2 is one passage of Scripture that has recently arrested my attention because of what it has to say about worship. After breaking down the Gospel of Christ in the first 11 chapters, the Apostle Paul concludes: ‘Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship…‘ I had never considered this a definition of worship! But, in fact, it is! 

Paul’s Definition Of Worship

Paul is defining ‘worship’ for us! Look at it again: He begins with a command: ‘…present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God…’ And then he says, ‘…THIS IS YOUR SPIRITUAL WORSHIP.’ If you’ve ever been curious about a good Biblical definition of ‘worship,’ well, here it is! Why is that significant? Because we need to know how to worship God rightly, or He will reject and dismiss our worship. I’m referring to the authority of God’s Word over every area of our lives! The Scriptures are not only inspired, they’re authoritative. In other words, we don’t have the right to define ‘worship’—or anything else for that matter—differently than God does in His Word. Paul is saying that genuine, spiritual worship impacts us and profoundly changes the way that we use our bodies—we sacrifice our bodies to please Him!
 

Don’t Worship God Empty-Handed

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Worship God With An Offering

So, my last few posts have focused on King David’s communication to Israel, in 1 Chronicles 16, about the proper way to worship God. It’s never acceptable to worship God according to our own homespun rules! We must worship Him in the way that He demands to be worshiped! One way that David commanded the congregation to worship God was with an offering! “Ascribe to Yahweh the glory of His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness” (v.29). In other words, do not come to worship God empty-handed!

Stewards Of God’s Stuff

Remember that we’re stewards of God’s stuff. Nothing we have actually belongs to us! We’re not really owners of anything! We’re managers of a portion of God’s estate! God owns it all, and proper worship includes a return of a portion of His blessings to us in the form of an offering! He’s the Creator! He’s created all the wealth in the universe, and He lends it to us! So, worship God because He’s the Creator! That’s how David continues his admonition to the people of Israel: “…the world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, ‘The Lord is King!’ Let the sea and everything in it resound; let the fields and all that is in them exult. Then the trees of the forest will shout for joy before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth” (vv. 30-33).

All Creation Worships Him

All of creation— the heavens, the earth, the sea and everything in it; the fields and all that is in it; the trees of the forest— all creation worships Him! Finally, David concludes with a charge to worship God now because it’s what we’ll do for all eternity: “Give thanks to the Lord,” he says, “for He is good; His faithful love endures forever. And say: ‘Save us, God of our salvation; gather us and rescue us from the nations so that we may give thanks to Your holy name and rejoice in Your praise. May Yahweh, the God of Israel, be praised from everlasting to everlasting’” (v. 34). Clearly, it’s a sign that a believer has not spent a lot of time in prayer and the Word when they express a fear that heaven may be boring!

We Can Only Imagine

After a billion years in heaven, we’ll still not know God entirely! No amount of intimacy with Him will close the gap in our knowledge and understanding of an eternal, infinite God! I’m certain that I’ll find Him more fascinating than all the Super Bowls and Star Trek reruns I’ve ever watched! Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord” (v. 36). And there was great joy as God dwelt with His people as His Glory descended on the Ark of His Covenant with His people! One day, the Book of Revelation says, “God will dwell among us”; literally, “He will pitch a tent among us.” Joy flows from worship! If we’re genuine God worshippers, we won’t be able to hide it! It’ll show on our faces! Grumpy Christians just aren’t worshipping God as they should! So, worship God! It’ll change your life! It’ll change everything!

Worship God Rightly

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An Example of Biblical Worship

It’s been my experience that many, who claim to be followers of Jesus, do not worship God rightly. I’ve found many who claim to be worshipers, but their worship fails to resemble what God commands worship to look like in Scripture. A great example of biblical worship can be found in King David’s Holy Spirit-inspired message to Israel about proper worship. Just open your Bibles to 1 Chronicles 16 and you’ll see what I mean. Among other things, David commands the congregation to worship God with their offerings: “…ascribe to Yahweh the glory of His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness” (v.29). Don’t come to worship God empty-handed!

Stewards! Not Owners!

Remember that we are stewards and managers of God’s stuff, not OWNERS! God owns all of our stuff! We’ve been given the responsibility to manage a portion of God’s estate. God is the owner of it all! And worship has always included an offering! David also led Israel to worship God for His creation— “…the world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, ‘The Lord is King!’ Let the sea and everything in it resound; let the fields and all that is in them exult. Then the trees of the forest will shout for joy before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth” (vv. 30-33). All of creation— the heavens, the earth, the sea and everything in it; the fields and all that is in them; the trees of the forest— all worship Yahweh, David says!

The Very Rocks Would Cry Out

At Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when the Pharisees told Him to rebuke His disciples for giving Him honor as Messiah, Jesus told them that “…if they kept silent, the very rocks would cry out…” We are called to worship God for the wonder of His creation and for the wonder that all creation worships Him! And then, David instructs Israel to worship God now because they’ll be worshiping God for all eternity— “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever. And say: ‘Save us, God of our salvation; gather us and rescue us from the nations so that we may give thanks to Your holy name and rejoice in Your praise. May Yahweh, the God of Israel, be praised from everlasting to everlasting” (v.34). We don’t know a lot about heaven, but worship will be part of it!

Worship Beyond Imagination

It’s a clear sign that a believer hasn’t spent a lot of time in prayer and the Word— seeking after God— when they express fear that an eternity in heaven may get boring! After a billion years, we’ll still not know our God completely! But I’m certain I will find Him more fascinating than all the Super Bowls and Star Trek reruns I’ve ever watched! As David finished his sermon, the text says that all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord” (v.36).  And there was great joy as God dwelt with His people. The disciples also had great joy as God, the Messiah, dwelt with them during his three-and-a-half-year ministry leading up to the cross. In heaven, Revelation reveals that “God will dwell among us”; forever we’ll worship Him!

Worshipers Remember God’s Work

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Worship Includes Memories

Have you ever considered that a proper worship of God includes your memories? It’s not proper worship to be disengaged with our minds! King David tells Israel to worship God by remembering all that’s He’s done for them: “Remember the wonderful works He has done, His wonders, and the judgments He has pronounced” (1 Chronicles 16:12).  In other words, give testimony to the work that God is doing; and, has done in your life! “Let the redeemed of the LORD proclaim that He has redeemed them from the hand of the foe” (Psalm 107:2). We worship God when we stand, before our church faith community, and testify to the way God is working in our lives!

Let The Redeemed Tell Their Story

The NIV actually translates Psalm 107:2 like this:  “Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story…” If you’re truly seeking after God in your life, He will show you how busy He is in your life! Your life will be intentional and purposeful. You’ll have stories to tell of the wonderful ways that God is at work. Notice that David follows that up by telling Israel to worship God by remembering His covenants. I’m thinking we don’t do this enough— at least not in my church! We don’t remember and rehearse enough that God is a covenant-keeping God: “Remember His covenant forever—the promise He ordained for a thousand generations, the covenant He made with Abraham, swore to Isaac, and confirmed to Jacob as a decree, and to Israel as an everlasting covenant” (1 Chronicles 16:14-22).

The New Covenant

At the Last Supper— on the night that He was betrayed— Jesus took the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant established by My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” REMEMBER the New Covenant, He says! Here’s why we can be secure in our salvation— because God has made a covenant to save us when we put our faith in Christ’s work on the cross, and He keeps us saved and seals us through that covenant confirmed by Jesus’ shed blood! Then David turns his attention to the nations: “Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Proclaim His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonderful works among all peoples” (1 Chronicles 16:23). Making disciples of Christ is worship!

We Worship By Making Disciples

The making of disciples is NOT just a New Testament thing! It was never God’s plan for Israel to keep His salvation to themselves! David continues, “…all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens…”; “Ascribe to the Lord, families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength” (1 Chronicles 16:26,28). Israel, like the Church, was to be a peculiar people and a priesthood of believers to the world! It is the destiny of future history that one day, “…every tribe, every nation, and every people group will be gathered around the throne of God to worship Him…” (Revelation 7:9). Have you ever considered that it’s an act of worship when we make disciples? It honors Jesus’ commission! REMEMBER THAT!

Do You Have Financial Pride?

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Taking A Little Vacation

Will Return On November 13

Instruct Those Who Are Rich

When the Apostle Paul instructs Timothy about his finances, he does so in a way that a disciple-maker might teach his disciple or a leader in a church might preach to his people. “Instruct those who are rich in the present age,” Paul begins in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, “not to be arrogant…” People who are blessed with money tend to struggle with pride. So, “…instruct them,” Paul tells him, “NOT to be consumed with financial pride.” Let me stop there for a moment and address those of you who don’t think Paul’s words apply to you because you don’t think you’re “rich.” YES! He is talking to you! And, YES, you are rich!

Yes! You Are Rich!

Half the world’s population lives on less than $2.50 a day! If you live on more than that, you’re in the upper half of the world’s wealthy! If your household income is $37K or more, you’re in the TOP 4% of the world’s wealthy! If you make $45K or more, you’re in the TOP 1%! YES! The Apostle Paul is talking to you, and he says, “Don’t be consumed with financial pride.” How do you know if you have financial pride? Have you ever said or thought something similar to this: “If they worked as hard as I do, or if they used their brain like I do, they wouldn’t be poor.” That’s PRIDE! That’s saying, “I’m the reason I’m wealthy! I worked hard for it! I used my brain, and I deserve it.” To the Church of Corinth, Paul reminded, “…what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you BOAST as if you had not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7)

How Can We Boast About Anything?

God has given us our brains, our opportunities, and our resources! He’s given us EVERYTHING we have! How can we boast about it? And, as if to emphasize that point, Paul adds this: “…don’t set your hope on the uncertainty of wealth…” Don’t be consumed by financial DEPENDENCE! Don’t DEPEND on it! Wealth, Paul says, is uncertain! It can’t be trusted! The wisdom from the book of Proverbs puts it like this: “Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle” (Proverbs 23:5). In other words, just look at money, and it’ll fly away! Avoid living an insignificant life! Don’t waste your life! The sin of “consumerism” draws its strength from financial pride and financial dependence!

Finding Your Significance

Set your hope on God, Paul says— “Instruct those who are rich, not…to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy.” God is the giver of the gifts we enjoy! But He never intended that we should enjoy the gifts more than the Giver! Our significance is wrapped up IN HIM, not in the stuff He has lent to us! So, be consumed with Him! We overcome the consumerism bug by being consumed with God and with others! He continues in v.18, “…do what is good, to be rich in good works…” Be consumed with serving others with the gifts God has blessed us with! And, “…be generous, willing to share…” Paul adds. There is really no worse testimony about the sufficiency of Jesus than a stingy, Scrooge-like Christian. Jesus said, “FREELY you have received, FREELY give!” (Matthew 10:8)