“Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.” – Ecclesiastes 5:19
Everything we have was given us by God
Whether we have little or much, what we are blessed with is ultimately from the Lord… be it talents, time, health, wealth, friends, work, or love… we have the Lord to thank. He gives freely, not based on what we deserve, but solely on His goodness.
He blesses us with life and health. Let us be thankful while we have them and use them for good.
He blesses us with loved ones. Let us think of them often, pray for their needs, and be there for them whenever we can.
He blesses us with intelligence. Let us educate ourselves constructively, labor well, and give much.
He blesses us with vision and fortitude. Let us plot our course and stay on track… and though we wander from time to time, let us always return to pursue our best goals.
He blesses us with forgiveness. Let us humble ourselves before Him, reveal our faults, and follow after future truths.
He blesses us with salvation. Let us accept His gift and pursue holiness and right doing.
He blesses us with His Word. Let us read and appreciate it anew daily for spiritual guidance and sustenance.
Believe me… I know how hard it can be to keep these things in perspective, but we must; because these are the things that truly matter! Never forget that, “As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.” Ecclesiastes 5:15
Possessions are not all we have
Abundance can easily cloud our ability to focus on the truly important things in life… like those mentioned above. There are a lot of people promoting minimalism these days, and I’m all for it. Simplifying our lives is one great way to clear our hearts and minds of the unnecessary, so we can begin filling them again with the necessary.
Stop and smell the roses
I love those times when I can shut up long enough to realize and appreciate just how much God has given me. This is one of those times. Wherever you are today… take a moment to count your blessings, take your portion, and rejoice therein – it is the gift of God.
I’m happy to share this awesome meditation with you, and hope it blesses you as much as it did me.
It’s ironic–and maybe a blessing from above–that we’re not always in touch with this concept until we experience the loss of what it was we cherished. The Great Recession may have brought more people around to this realization.
Sadly, it seemed that even many believers may have been buying into the New Economy/New Paradigm notions that were so popular just a few years ago. Everyone it seemed thought they’d hit their first million at 35 or retire at 50. The bigger homes, the more expensive cars, an ever higher stock market, another degree and get rich quick in real estate.
Somehow it’s not until that’s all gone and we get closer to the ground that we realize how unstable life really is, and how dependent we are on God and on His provision. From an eternal perspective, we’re better off where we are than where we were.
Well said Kevin… I concur. My wife and me have more awareness and thankfulness now, which makes us behave more responsibly. Good stuff.
I think this is the most important lesson that we can learn in all of personal finance (really, in life)! As you said, it’s not just enough to know this truth, but it should affect how we live. Since God has given many of us physical strength and health, we must honor Him and not be lazy!
@ Kevin, I think it’s so easy for us to get swept up with the fads of society. That is why surrounding ourselves with people who seek to honor the Lord is so important. That’s one of the greatest blessings of the church!
The older I get, the more I see the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people!
Speaking of trends, the modern obsession with mega churches has affected our view of exactly what, or more specifically who, the Church really is.
In the first century, the Church was small groups meeting in house churches. There was great community and little ceremony. So your point Khaleff about surrounding ourselves with people who seek to honor the Lord, is actually the very definition of The Church!
We’re not on this journey alone, and the more people we can have on our walks with us, the stronger we’ll be going forward, no matter what obstacles we face. The abundance of stuff and financial choices can make us feel self-sufficient, thinking we don’t need people.
Yeah, people are hungry for a true relationship with the Lord, and most church ceremonies and traditions are not delivering.
It’s always good to get a reminder of this – that all we have is owned by Him, and was given to us by Him. Relinquishing the ownership of our things like that makes it so much easier to give, and let our things become secondary to more important things – like faith and family.
Excellent message Matt! Also I’m glad to see you back!
Thanks!
Thank you for this reflection. I’m preaching this Sunday on this very thing. When the Israelites or the early church gave to others, it was out of the joy of thankfulness at realizing that all they had came from God. They were blessed to be a blessing (Gen. 12:2), and they took great joy in that! My prayer is that I and my congregation will again find the joy of giving through remembering that all we have is a gift from God.
Glad to know the article was a blessing Jennifer, I wish you and your congregation the best.