MONEY MONEY MONEY!

"People who want to get rich fall into temptation..For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil....have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs". 1 Timothy 6:9-10. My friend, A man is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has! King Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes mentions several times how stressful life can be for those whose life's goal is the pursuit of wealth or riches. Is it wrong to have nice things? Certainly NOT. But those who are consumed with wanting more live a stress-filled life. People spend their lives working countless hours to get money. Our pride is fed by the status it brings, the pleasure promises, and the power it gives. But it can easily become an idol and passion if we are not careful. It can take the place of "God" and be seen as our "provider". Countless divorces and family problems are related to money problem. Do you know that money is a double-edged sword. It enables us to meet our family's needs and advance God's kingdom, but it can deeply wound us if we set our hearts on it and chase it.Solomon talks about how the poor man has peaceful sleep after spending his day laboring in the field, while the rich man tosses and turns worrying about how to hold onto all his wealth. I have a suggestion for you buddy. If you can learn the value of holding loosely to what you have, the pressure will begin to roll off your shoulders. Holding loosely does not mean you live flippantly and without taking care off what you have. It means that you recognize that it is all God's to begin with anyway. Don't live above your means and constantly worried or stressed about your money situation! Why? You are not like federal government spends and doesn't care about deficit. Don't you realize that you are choosing to live that way. Stop it now. There is another way friend. Whoops, I am preaching!!