June 10, 2023

WHERE IS YOUR CONFIDENCE

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said. “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.”

Mark 10:28-31 NLT

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TODAY’S THOUGHT

We have just covered the previous verses where a rich young man comes to Jesus and wants to know how to have eternal life. Jesus starts with the commandments given to Moses and then narrows into the real problem of the young man—he has his confidence in stuff. He sees his stuff as his security. Jesus lets the man go away sad because he was unwilling to give up his stuff. Jesus then teaches his disciples that it is very hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. The issue is not money—the issue is in where we place our confidence. If we place our confidence in stuff instead of our Savior, we can’t get eternal life. Money can be a marvelous servant but a terrible master. Peter reveals the mindset of the disciples. They had given up everything thinking they would get something in exchange. He was basically asking, “What’s in this for us?” This is a contrast with the transformation of Peter following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. When we get to Acts chapter 3 Peter is telling a lame man, “Silver and gold I don’t have but what I do have I give to you, in Jesus’ name get up and walk!” Peter had moved from “What will I get?” To “What I have, I will give.” Jesus goes on to say everyone who gives up stuff for His kingdom will get a hundred times more back—but persecution will also come. But you also get eternal life. R.J. LeTourneau used to say, “If you give because it pays, it won’t pay!” We don’t give to get; we give out of the love in our heart. If our motive is right, then God responds with favor and blessings on our lives. Sometimes those blessings are in dollars and cents. Sometimes they are far greater riches. Let’s recognize God blesses us so that we can be a blessing. We have the opportunity to give. Let’s don’t mess it up by giving to get.

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TODAY’S PRAYER

Holy Spirit help me to be a generous person with my time, talent, and treasure. Help me to hold loosely what You have given to me.

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