Read Message

bigmike

“Your Father knows what you need. But put God’s work first, and these other things will be yours as well.” Luke 12:30-31 (CEV)
In most cultures today, it’s easy to think of yourself first—to hoard all your resources and to consider your own interests before other people. But Jesus calls you to live differently—to live how he did. He wants you to live with generosity and a sense of priority.
God wants you to be generous so that you can be like him—because he is generous. The Bible says, “God so loved . . . that he gave” (John 3:16 NIV).
Every time you give, you become more like Jesus. Every time you give, your heart grows bigger. Every time you give, you break the grip of materialism in your life. When you give, you win a spiritual victory every time.
Luke 16:9 says, “Make friends for yourselves using worldly riches so that when those riches are gone, you will be welcomed in those homes that continue forever” (NCV).
In other words, God wants you to use your money to help people learn about Jesus—to hear the Good News and get saved. Then you might meet someone in heaven who will say, “Thank you! Your money helped build a church. I'm in heaven now because that church reached me. Now I’m your friend forever.”
People think the Bible says that money is the root of all evil. But it doesn’t. It says, “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10 NLT). Money is just a tool—a tool that can help you love people as you live generously.
Another way to live like Jesus is to live with a sense of priority, knowing what should be first.
Jesus knew his purpose and priorities. The earliest statement we have from Jesus was when he was twelve years old and told his parents, “I must be about My Father’s business” (Luke 2:49 NKJV). At age twelve, he already knew his life plan. He was focused. He was purpose driven. And at the end of his life he said, “It is finished” (John 19:30 NIV).
Those two statements show how focused Jesus was on his priorities. They’re the bookends of a successful life.
The first line in The Purpose Driven Life is completely countercultural in today’s world: “It’s not about you.” Jesus was saying the same when he said, “Your Father knows what you need. But put God’s work first, and these other things will be yours as well” (Luke 12:30-31 CEV).
Many things in your life—like your career, education, friendships, romance, and finances—are good and from God. But God says to put him first.
Live like Jesus did—with generosity and the right priorities. And he’ll help you with everything else!
Talk It Over
Have you ever thought about how your generosity wins a spiritual battle for you?
Think back on your life. Would you say that you use money and love people, or that you love money and use people?
If you could write the bookends to your life, what would you want them to say?

Date: