Net Worth Essentials

What are you worth? This is an ugly question you’d never ask in polite company, although you may be curious about the answer. “The real measure of your wealth is how much you’d be worth if you lost all your money.” This anonymous quote serves us well in our discussion of what happens when we choose to follow dollar bills, instead of the Lord. When we judge each other, and ourselves, by the value of our bank accounts, the size of our homes, or the luxury of the things we accumulate, we are choosing material wealth over our faith in God. Joshua 24:15 says, “Choose this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” The Bible is clear about the danger of worshipping money in 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” Money is one of our culture’s greatest gods, and people will do just about anything if it means they can make money off of it. We are willing to compromise our integrity for the sake of profit, and nowhere is corruption more rampant than when money is at stake. Money is a necessary part of modern life; we no longer trade furs for a box of candles, or a basket of eggs for cloth to make a new shirt. While little green pieces of paper allow commerce to take place, the desire for money should never be the dominant influence in our decision-making. Let’s pray. Lord, your word tells us no one can serve two masters. You are our provider, and the pursuit of material wealth cannot bring us closer to you. Be present in every decision and inspire every desire of our hearts to honor you. In Jesus’ name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world!