By: Charles E. Burch
So often we take for granted all the luxuries with which God has blessed us. In the great nation in which we live, we have come to expect these things. In fact, we look upon many of the luxuries, not as luxuries, but as necessities. The great danger is that we can become caught up in these things to the degree that we put our trust in them, instead of in God. The Bible teaches that the Lord and His kingdom must come first. Jesus taught: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). It is not wrong to have some luxuries, but we must not rob God in order to afford them.
Materialism has become the god of so many today. The God of Heaven has blessed them with so much that they feel no need for Him, for they have all they desire here in this life. This is why the fields are white unto harvest in many places, and few have a desire to go teach. Many times when men have the desire to go, they have such difficulty in raising support that it kills their desire. Many of the countries where the people have very little of this world’s goods are the ones who are receptive to the Gospel, for they have nothing in which to place their faith except God. Jesus warned about materialism in the sermon on the mount, by saying, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19–21). In this passage, Jesus taught that our hearts will be upon those things that we treasure most in this life.
Since God has blessed us so bountifully, let us use those blessing to God’s glory, instead of letting them become our god. There is a hymn that we sing from time to time which says, “Count your many blessings name them one by one, count your many blessings see what God has done.” We need to realize that all we have came from God. James said, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights…” (James 1:17).
Yes, we have been blessed so much, and therefore, let us be thankful for everything with which God has blessed us, but remember that God must come first in our lives. The things that we possess will be of no value to us in the grave.
