Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
Cofounder of Apple Steve Wozniak has a personal disdain for money and accumulating large amounts of wealth.
He told Fortune magazine in 2017, "I didn't want to be near money, because it could corrupt your values.
When Apple first went public in 1980, Wozniak offered $10 million of his own stock to early Apple employees.
It is not being rich that really matters, it’s how and why you got rich. Many people feel they must have wealth at any cost, some do it by illicit ways. Others by an unhealthy obsession with working all hours, often to the detriment of family life. Then there is the stock market, where some can ‘read’ the stocks and shares and build their wealth that way.
Almost everyone knows someone who will not spend money if they can avoid it. Think of that friend you’ve got who always dodges his turn to pay for drinks, whether coffee or something a little bit stronger. A lot of people live on the bare bones of life because they don’t want to part with a penny, everything they buy is the cheapest they can find, not giving a thought about how long their ‘bargain’ will last. What a miserable life they must lead. Of course, they may not feel miserable because their safety is in their money, or what they own.
Some people would rather have money and possessions than a relationship with the LORD. They would rather have earthly wealth than riches stored in heaven, they do not realise that they could lose all they have in the blink of an eye, by theft or bank failure. It would also be fairly easy for them to be taken in be a scam, if somebody offered to increase their wealth, by lying to him/her. Oh yes, woman or man, if they are greedy for wealth they would be a sitting duck. Trusting in the Lord God can help us to store up wealth for our eternal life, which is much better than anything we can gather now.
Heavenly treasure is guarded by the Lord God and only we can access it. The crown of life awaits us, as long as we set our trust in the Father, Son and holy Spirit. We can, in our prayers, ask to be dressed in the full armour of God and for God’s holy Spirit to fill us so that nothing but the voice of God can penetrate. Locking Satan from our thoughts and allowing us to read scripture and pray, without as much interference from the devil.
If we want the treasure that God has for us, we must look only to His way and not to the easy way. We must also let go of the need for earthly wealth and possessions, focusing on the riches of God, which will never decay.
Prayer
Our Father in heaven, we look to You daily for Your grace and mercies. We ask for Your involvement in our lives each day, to keep us on the narrow path the Jesus brings us to. If our feet begin to slip, please set them back in place. Hold our hands tightly so that we don’t slip away from You, as we may if we are holding Your hand. Father, as You can see, the world is not doing well and we ask for Your strength and wisdom to guide us through the times ahead. We know that You are always with us and pray that You will help us never to forget. Bless those living with violence and conflict, let the innocent be safe and the guilty meet judgement. In the name of Jesus, along with the holy Spirit, amen.
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