Are We Worshipping God or Money?

I was challenged by my church to read the Bible from cover to cover. I am following my outline and even though not every passage has meaning to me at this point in my life I realize it will in the future. You can relax, I wont post all of my reflections lol. This post is in reference to Judges 9,10; Ps 49; and 1 Corinthians 16. God really does show mercy to those that ask for forgiveness. You probably hear that a lot. But he also wanted us to understand that it is important to not get angry when people grow and prosper in the Lord. He said, you will be taken to heaven while they dwell in coffins. What does that mean to you? When I applied that to my own life I heard all those recurring snide comments people made to me over the years about how much better their life was because of money, material things and fortune. They worship money. We will not take our belongings with us when we pass. It is the unseen that goes with us. Our love, devotion to others and experiences. So I may not own a yacht or live in a mansion. However, I have experienced selfless love, memories that warm my soul and compassion for the people that mean the most to me. God has blessed me in ways money never can. I hope I never worship money over Him. I pray that others realize what is really important in life.

The Opposite of Trust is Control

After church today I was compelled to start a blog. When Mary was found with child she was surely ridiculed by those that did not believe her story, but she trusted Gabrielle the Archangel. In our daily lives we put our trust in our doctors, family, and even strangers. Once long ago, my pastor said to me, "we put trust in others because we have faith that God will protect us." What happens when that trust in people is lost? We have all been betrayed, lied to, or deceived in some way. Whether the person did this intentionally or not, it causes us to lose trust in them. How do we forgive those that trespass against us and what does it mean? I believe that when we forgive we are acknowledging that what the person did was wrong or hurtful, but we cast out thoughts of revenge. The opposite would mean allowing anger to control our hearts. This would leave no room for obedience or faith in God. Some might say, "Well if God cared he wouldn't have let this happen to me." Those people will live guarded with an illusion of power as they try to control everything. We are equally vulnerable to tragedy no matter our status. When Joseph contemplated leaving Mary for the sake of his reputation, God appeared to him in a dream and verified Mary's story. We don't always have God or Angels appearing to us telling us exactly what will become of a difficult situation. However, it is important to remember that trusting God is a gift to him and to ourselves. When terrible things have happened to me throughout my life I was innately trusting. As an adult I became guarded realizing a lot was at stake. In one situation my Mom sat in court to insure my perpetrator received punishment for their transgressions against me. In other situations the perpetrators offense was to my heart and justice was not mine to seek. Those that know me well have asked me, "How in the world could you forgive such things?" I always respond, "The way God forgave us." I would rather walk in obedience and faith, than disillusionment and anger. I would like to encourage others to do the same. People might say, "The pain is too much, I simply can't forgive." To that I would say give your pain to God. When you forgive, let it be to free yourself from guilt, anger, or doubt. Forgiveness is not always earned by those that trespass against us, but only God has the power to change their hearts. You have the power to let him change yours. Have faith and trust in God.