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Have you ever noticed that when you own something, it actually owns you? Think about it–You buy a house and you constantly work on the house. You buy a car and you constantly have to do maintenance on it. Is there anything you own that doesn?t require time or money or both, just to keep it in good condition? And, what about your job? How many hours a week do you put in to it? Does it require overtime? I remember when they used to say ?The computer age will put us all on 4 day work weeks.? When is that going to happen? Fifty and sixty hour work weeks seem to be more common now than ever. Then there is family. I?d rather be owned by my family than any of the others. Real, authentic family relationships take time. Some of us say we work at our jobs so our family can have the comforts of life. The truth is that our families would rather have our time. If there is no time to build relationships, then what we are is simply providers not spouses or parents. In themselves, none of these things are bad. The question is, what owns us? What is the most important thing in our lives? Jesus had some things to say about this. ?Don?t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.? (Matthew 6:19-21) ?And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?? (Matthew 16:26) ?If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.? (Matthew 10:37) These can be very hard teachings, depending on our own priorities. To me, the most important thing on this earth is my family. I would give my life for any one of them. But look again at Matthew 16:26?what is more important then their souls? If I work long hours so they can have all the best in life but I never take the time to lead them to Jesus, what have I given them? The thing is, anything we put before God takes his place in our lives. Something that is in that position is an idol. Consider the rest of Jesus? teaching in Matthew 6. ?No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.? (vs. 24) ?That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life?whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn?t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?? (vs. 25) ?And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don?t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.? (Vs. 28-29) ?So don?t worry about these things, saying, ?What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?? These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.? (Vs. 31-33) Does that mean we should simply go into a cave somewhere? I don?t think so! It means we should set our priorities in order. And, how do we do that? We begin by putting first things first. ?You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.? This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ?Love your neighbor as yourself.?? (Matthew 22:37-39) The next thing we do is to truly become the disciples that we claim to be. We do our best to learn what it means to ?give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice?the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don?t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God?s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.? (Romans 12:1-2) We do our best to be able to say, like Paul, ?I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.? (Galatians 2:20) Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need,
and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don?t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
(Matthew 6:9-13)
Keep the Faith
Original content at: http://becauseofyeshua.org/?p=79.
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Scott Bartchy is a radical. He believes in a subversive system that embraces those on the fringes of our society and seeks to establish a new way of life that goes against the status quo.