Thursday, October 30, 2014

Get Back on Track

1Timothy 6:6-10
 
Many of you have seen a portion of this scripture before. But God reminded me about a testimony I saw on Facebook from a young lady I did not know in a group I subscribed to. In her testimony, she noted how Satan stirred her heart so with the love of money that it totally distracted her from Jesus. It wasn't until God inflicted severe correction on her did she repent and turn from her ways and seek after God. And then a friend posted a magazine article about knowing if your dreams are of God.
 
The apostle Paul instructed the young minister Timothy in how to continue to walk uprightly. He did so by reminding Timothy that each of us, you and I, came into this world with nothing and shall leave with nothing. Job said the same when all he had was taken from him. But the apostle Paul also admonished about what the love of money can do. Again, let it be made clear, money is neither good or evil. It is simply a tool. How and why it is obtained, its use and your attitude with it are what matters. Many of you may recall the devotional earlier this year about the song written by the OJays, "For the Love of Money" written in the 70s that came from scripture. But what many miss is as long as the money is the focus, not only do you miss Jesus, you miss the purpose God created you for. The enemy is banking on your obsession over money to the point that you abandon all reason which is exactly what greed is based from. You can read Matthew 6. God knows every need but you cannot serve two masters. Why? The word says that the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. As long as you focus on the love of money, Satan can steal the dreams God provided to you, your destiny can be destroyed and your spirit can be murdered with sin. Proverbs 18:16 says that your gifts will make room for you and put you before great men. Some of you are relying on money to put you before great men and not the gifts God has freely given to you. The word says to trust not in riches because they will sprout wings. Remember the parable about the talents? What has God given you? The word talent was in the context was a form of money but it is also gift. Some of you have one talent. Others of you have multiple. When God comes to collect to see your stewardship over what He has given you, what will you say? Have you knowingly gone off the track to follow the love of money? What about the assignment God gave you? Does that not matter? Has your love of money been so rooted that you have gambled via casinos, lottery, etc that which you were supposed to be a good steward of? You say you want God to bless you with more? How can He if as the word says you have not been faithful with the little you have received? You have actually received much. You have something God wants you to do and He gave you tools needed to complete the assignment. That is not little. That is a great honor. For example, some of you know God has told you to write a book. Have you done it? Some of you, God told you start a specific business. Have you done it yet? Some of you have gifts that can be utilized in the body of Christ. Have you done it yet? Get back on track.  
 
P.S. The opening scripture wasn't written out on purpose.