Are You Happy With Life?
Pastor Chip Kawalsingh
Hebrews 13:5 (NLV) - Keep your lives free from the love of money. Be happy with what you have. God has said, "I will never leave you or let you be alone."
As the old Rolling Stones song goes, “I can’t get no satisfaction!” Along with Mick Jagger, we live in a world where most people - even believers - can become dissatisfied with life, with what they have and with what they do. Money can also bring dissatisfaction; we never seem to have enough! No matter what shiny new gadget you buy, it seems to be only a little while until a new model or upgraded version comes out and you hear, like me, “Dad, that’s so outdated!”
The writer of Hebrews encourages his readers to be happy with what they have. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t believe for God’s blessing and abundance in our lives (we should not walk around with a mentality that says ‘this is my lot in life’), but we should seek God and not material things. Matthew 6: 23-33 gives us a great revelation about how God’s blessings work. In order to get what we need out of life, we should seek God’s Kingdom first. We should not seek the things we need, as the pagans or worldly people do, but we put God first! We are to put God first with our time, with our treasure, with our talent and with our one-to-one touch.
Remember, God is our source, He is our helper and He is the one who provides for our every need. He knows what you need and when you need it by. Fear will often come knocking on our doors - when we cannot make ends-meat, pay the bills, help the needy, etc. - but let God be God and trust Him. Be happy with what you’ve got and put God first! If you do, then the blessings of God will come your way.
Proverbs 3:5 (NIV) - “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.”
What does this mean to me?
- Stronger Church equals a changed society.
As the Church gets stronger, so its influence and ability to reach out will increase. It takes money to build Church, reach the lost and help the needy. There seem to be two camps in Christianity when it comes to money: firstly those who say we should sell all that we have and help the poor and needy, not ‘wasting’ money on buildings but spending it on the more urgent needs of the poor, and there are those who say that the more money we have, the greater is our faith. These two views are equally wrong. The problem is not money, but how we view it. We need money to purchase Church buildings, look after the harvest and help the needy, but having money is not a sign of great faith; just good business practice, hard work and God’s provision! Our focus should never be money, but always on God. Remember, the Church is God’s plan to bring change on the Earth, not human reasoning (Matthew 16: 13-19). - Give first to God and build His Church.
In John 12:1-8 we read of Mary taking out some expensive perfume and pouring it on the feet of Jesus. Judas objected, ‘This could have been sold and given to the poor’ (it was the equivalent of one year’s wages). The verse also says this: ‘not that he cared for the poor’. Judas had a problem with money and used the poor as an excuse to justify his actions (stealing from the moneybag). You may not be stealing from the Church offering bucket, but according to Malachi 3 8-12, if you’re withholding your tithes and offerings, you are! - Jesus and His bride the Church deserve the best!
Jesus commended the woman for what she did, because it was for Him. In John 12:8 Jesus said “You will always have the poor, but you will not always have me.” If anyone could have stopped poverty it was Jesus, but He didn’t. Human reasoning is not the solution to worldwide problems, Jesus and His church are. Jesus was not poor, but equally He didn’t depend on money for His source. When it comes to giving to God, the Church is His designated conduit; not TV ministries or other well-meaning para-church organisations, but the local Church. The Church represents Christ. We reflect Him to our society, so it should be a reflection of comfort, excellence and the best of what is available today. When the tabernacle of Moses, David and Solomon was built, it was done so using only the best materials available; the best silver and gold, the best fine materials and only the best imported cedars would do. Why? It represents our God! He surely deserves our best! Money will not bring you total satisfaction, but Jesus will bring joy and fulfilment to your life.
