“In the same way,” concluded Jesus, “none of you can be my disciple unless you give up everything you have.” —Luke 14:33 (GNT)
Once there was a rich ruler who came to Jesus and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?” (Luke 18:18, GNT).
Then Jesus answered and said, “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery; do not commit murder; do not steal; do not accuse anyone falsely; respect your father and your mother’” (Luke 18:20, GNT).
The young man replied, “Ever since I was young, I have obeyed all these commandments” (Luke 18:21, GNT).
“When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “There is still one more thing you need to do. Sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me.” But when the man heard this, he became very sad, because he was very rich.” —Luke 18:22-23 (GNT)
And he walked away. Though he wanted to inherit eternal life, he couldn’t let go of his riches to follow Jesus. So, instead of choosing to follow Jesus, he chose his wealth.
The question is, what was the mistake he made? He made the mistake of choosing wealth over following Jesus. Now, don’t get me wrong, wealth is not bad. God wants you to be wealthy, but the moment you allow wealth—or the pursuit of it—to take the place of God in your life, you have made the same mistake the rich young ruler made.
To avoid this, you must draw the line. Give God His place and do not allow anything to replace Him in your life. Choose God always. When you do this, everything you are looking for will come looking for you, because it is written: “Be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things (your needs, wants, and desires)” (Matthew 6:33, GNT, Paraphrased). Hallelujah!
Today’s Rhema
Do not allow the pursuit of wealth to take the place of God!
Confession for the Day
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for teaching me Your Word and for giving me a good understanding. I refuse to give Your place to another. Your place in my life remains, and it will forever be cherished and honored, in Jesus’ name. Amen!
