Bible & Possessions预览

FINDING YOUR LIFE BY LOSING IT

Following Jesus is not without cost. In an exhortation to self-denial, Jesus described an aspect of the paradox of God's Kingdom. To find and preserve your life, you have to lose it.

Peter, an entrepreneur, says; “I was an ambitious businessman of 30 years and a director of a chemical company. The business was going pretty well; I earned well and could easily buy nice things. Looking back and evaluating my work and life from that time, it is best described as being 'a success in business but a failure in life.’ For my business success, I had to pay a price that came in three packages. First, my health. Due to stress and busyness, I had back problems and had to go to the hospital for a while. Second, marital problems arose. I travelled a lot, was rarely home, and my loving wife was left alone with three small children. Third, my relationship with God was all but gone. I remember sitting in church once on a Sunday morning, and all I could think about was how to pay the many outstanding bills on Monday. I was quickly on my way to what the Bible calls, ‘losing my soul.’

Fortunately, I was invited to a series of breakfast meetings with Christian businessmen. During those meetings, I learned that the Bible has a lot to say about doing business and dealing with people and money. We prayed together that I would surrender my business to God to do business according to biblical principles. That was a new start for me and I decided to give up my ambition, trust God for the further course of my career, devote more time to my family, and seek the Lord daily in prayer and Bible reading.”

Worldly things can be beautiful, but focusing entirely on them is harmful if you don't focus on your relationship with God and the loved ones around you.

CHALLENGE

Spend extra time in prayer and Bible reading. Try to set aside at least 15 minutes per day for this and meditate on the specified Bible passage. It can also help to read the parts before and after the Bible verses for context.