The ability to generate wealth is from God.
"You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth.” Deut 8:18 Those who have jobs should be quick to share. "Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” Eph 4:28 Your life is not defined by your career, but by Christ. "When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Col 3:4 Pursuing material possessions may cost you more than you realize. “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions….Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” Luke 12:15, 20 "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” Mk 8:36 It’s Ok to enjoy what the Lord provides "who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” (1 Tim 6:17) But be sure to use your resources for kingdom work "They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” 1 Tim 6:18-19
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Just before I left for a trip, I did a memorial service (see my last post). I had a few hours on a international flight to reflect on the delicate balance between celebrating and mourning at a memorial service. Here are a few thoughts.
Today I'l be officiating a memorial service for a saint whose faith has become sight. Here are a few reflections.
Our church lost a precious saint last week, Bob Milligan at 85 years of age. Bob was one of the most joyful men I’ve ever met. Bob suffered a spinal cord injury during a bicycle accident in 1984 leaving him as a quadriplegic. This obviously caused much difficulty for the next 35 years of his life but I never once heard him complain. Bob and his wife Ann were models of Christ-likeness in the midst of trials. They managed to adjust their lives and live to the fullest. Bob had a fall that changed everything a few weeks ago. After he fell, his body simply wasn’t able to recover. When I’d go to the room to visit Bob, he would ask me questions about how I was doing and make jokes about everything imaginable. He was the one who was encouraging me, I think more than I was encouraging him. Just a couple of days before he would end up meeting his Lord, he asked Ann if she thought he was dying. She said that she didn’t know, that’s up to the Lord. Then Ann asked Bob if he thought he was dying. Bob said, “I don’t know, I’ve never done it before.” That was Bob, making everyone smile and comfortable in a situation that is known for being anything but comfortable. I walked out of the hospital after Ann told me this story and I said out loud, I hope I can die like Bob one day. As I was getting in my car, I thought, to die like Bob, you have to live like Bob. What was it that made Bob so peaceful and others focused at the end? Bob understood that to live is Christ and to die is gain. His death truly was gain because he was living for Christ. I’ll miss Bob. I loved watching his chair come wheeling in and watching our church family welcome him in. It’s hard to say what will stick with me the most about Bob, but I’d probably have to say it was his ability to think about others despite his own suffering. |