How Is REAL wealth measured?

Faith in Jesus Christ means that we are wealthy beyond our wildest dreams because we have everything we want, everything we need and our success is guaranteed! Not because of any of our own actions or deeds but because of the spirit of Christ that dwells in all of those who believe.

Source: PInterest

For many the World would have us believe that success is measured by how much we have (our material wealth), but the problem with this is that there is no defined boundary that tells anyone when they have maximised or achieved the wealth they desire.  There appears to be a human desire to constantly want more and sadly many people never seem to be satisfied by what they have.  The Word of God tells us however in 1 Corinthians 4:8 ‘Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich!’  Those who are struggling in the World who do not see an answer sometimes contemplate taking their own lives and sadly some act on this and end their lives on earth.  If only these people would have taken the gift given to them by God and that is the gift of Jesus Christ.  Yes, Jesus declares in John 6:35 ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty’. Faith in Jesus Christ means that we are wealthy beyond our wildest dreams because we have everything we want, everything we need and our success is guaranteed! Not because of any of our own actions or deeds but because of the spirit of Christ that dwells in all of those who believe; 1 John 4:15 ‘If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.

As a Christian I wake up each morning knowing that I have the living spirit of Jesus Christ in me and what a joy that is!  No matter what I have planned for the day or whatever the World will throw at me during the day, I have the spirit of the living God in me so I know with confidence that I do not need to worry, everything will be ok. 1 John 4:4 ‘You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world’.  Becoming a Christian does not mean that we become immune to the same hardships as non-Christians.  We still live in the World, have jobs, bills, families, and suffer hardship, loss and grief just like everyone else. 

Source: http://www.concordianews.org/

When Jesus came to earth he felt the same emotions and pains as we do. In fact whilst in the garden of Gethsemane just before He was arrested Jesus asked his Father to take away the suffering that He was about to endure; Mark 14:36 ‘Abba Father,’ he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’ Whilst on earth Jesus was God but he was also human at the same time. In his humanness, just like us’ Jesus did not want to suffer, however Jesus was also prepared to let his Father’s will be done.  By having faith in Christ this is what we can do everyday of our lives too.  Handing our life over to God everyday allows us to deepen our relationship with Him and allows our Father to work in us so that people will see that we are children of God.  Handing our life over to God also gives us peace.  I work in a very busy environment, as I am sure many others do.  I see many people in my workplace becoming increasingly stressed and frustrated by workload issues, personality conflicts and other things, however I do not seem to be affected in the same way when things get tough.  This is because trusting in God provides an inner peace that is hard to describe but is priceless! 

So let’s go back to the original question of success or wealth. Personally, I want for nothing, I have everything. Yes, materially I have a lot. I have a great family, a nice home and a good job, and I thank God every day for every thing He has provided in my life, however I do not see these things as a measure of personal wealth or success as ultimately these things were given by God and belong to him anyway. God tells us in his Word; Ecclesiastes 5:10 ‘Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless’. Money and material things will not make a person happy for very long.  This is why we see wealthy people including celebrities who appear on the surface to have everything a person could desire, but on the inside this clearly is not enough as some become depressed and extremely unhappy. The only answer to true happiness and peace is to trust in God: Jeremiah 29:11 ‘For I know the plans I have for you, ’declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’.

Therefore wealth is not a measure of how much money I have or how many material things I have, it is a measure of my relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.  I am excited about the plans that God has for my life and I pray everyday that His will is done in my life.  Money cannot buy the peace and confidence provided by faith in Christ and in fact money is not needed, this is a gift given by God to all who believe; John 3:16 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ Jesus died for me and He died for you and all you need to do to accept this gift is to allow Jesus into your heart and into your life. Do this and you will have wealth beyond you wildest expectations.

Author: Gary O’Neill

May God bless and enrich your life

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