Money

Hey guys,
I was reading Matthew 26, and I noticed something: Judas Iscariot fell to money. Sure there were other factors leading to it, but the Pharisees bribed Him, and he traded the Son of Man for 30 pieces of silver. Looking at that, I wonder how many of us do the same thing. Personally I struggle (probably more than a lot of you) with materialism. I like the things of this world, but I'm working hard on putting my money where it really matters - for God's kingdom. Anyway, what I was getting at is that money is a huge issue. Even with Jesus right in front of Him, Judas still gave in to his materialism. Reading this has really humbled me, because I know there are times when we put our money or our own selfish gain (financially) before God. We are then also betraying Him because we love the world more than Him. As a result, I hope that we all begin to look seriously at how money pulls us away from Jesus Christ. Jesus warns of money more than anything else in Scripture, and I think there's a reason for that. I just hope that some day, we aren't looking ourselves in the eye and realizing what we have traded: Jesus Christ, our savior for something utterly vain, deceiving, fleeting, and unsatisfying. So in conclusion, we must learn now to free ourselves from the bondage of materialism, and to invest in something infinitely greater. Instead of cultivating a need for money, let's replace that with a need for God's grace, and give money away, knowing that regardless of how much we give, God will provide us with more. That's all... just really cool reading today! Have a good break...

p.s. read Randy Alcorn's Treasure Principle for more on having a joyful and giving heart!