Many people validate themselves by the measure of their financial success. However, I’ve known many wealthy failures. Having had multiple failed relationships and marriages, they are empty. They have been left with few genuine friends.
Success? I don’t think so!
Our difficulty, however, is, even as believers, we often measure our validity by our assets. It’s not a new problem. Remember the rich young ruler? Jesus told him to sell all that he had and give it to the poor and come and follow Him. We then read, “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions (Matthew 19:22).
For this man, Jesus was not enough for his validity! If he gave everything away, all he would have would be Jesus. I suspect that he needed possessions to authenticate his existence or to mold his identity. Jesus was not enough for Him. He needed more! What about you? Is Jesus enough?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating that you give away all your money. I agree with the man who remarked,”I have been rich and I have been poor…and rich is better.” But, here’s a personal question. Are you caught up in the game of accumulating things? If so, why do you do it? Is it to gain validation? I’ll let you in on a little secret … until you learn to authenticate your existence in Jesus only, you will always look for validation from others, your work, your accomplishments or from material accumulations.
No amount of wealth can validate you. In a short time, the sum total of property you will occupy will be an urn or a box in a plot 6ft by 2 and ½ feet. The important question today, therefore, is this, is Jesus enough? Are you thoroughly satisfied with Him?
Which is more important, your earthly income or your heavenly inheritance? Which is more important, the adulation of men or the applause of Heaven? Is Jesus enough?
Perhaps, on the other hand, you are ashamed because you feel that you don’t have a large enough income. But, why in the world should your bank balance matter for your validation? The Heavenly Father is not impressed by the amount of money any man has in the bank. What does impress Him, though, is what you think of His Son. Is Jesus enough?
As for your bank balance, remember how Jesus taught it? We read, “--- a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses” (Luke 12:15). God does not measure your worth by the amount of money you make.
You may think you have an unimportant job, but both your job and how you do it are crucial. Perform your job as an act of worship; do it to the glory of God. Let your validation come out of the fact that God has loved you, chosen you, called, died for you and adopted you into His Royal family. You are a child and heir of God. So, let’s ask it again, are you satisfied with Jesus? Is He enough?
Some Christians think that the way to validate themselves is through Ministry: This may sound strange, but I’ve known lots of people who have striven for a “big ministry” for no other reason than to validate their existence. Some young guys I’ve known have wanted to become Christian singer/songwriters just so they could become famous. But they’ve missed the point! There’s a lesson to be learned by all would be ministers, whether preachers of the Word or worship leaders. When Jesus called the twelve into ministry, we read that,
“He ordained twelve, that they should BE WITH HIM (Mark 3:12). ---That’s priceless. They were ordained, that they should be with HIM.
Jesus is enough!
And that’s the Gospel Truth!
Success? I don’t think so!
Our difficulty, however, is, even as believers, we often measure our validity by our assets. It’s not a new problem. Remember the rich young ruler? Jesus told him to sell all that he had and give it to the poor and come and follow Him. We then read, “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions (Matthew 19:22).
For this man, Jesus was not enough for his validity! If he gave everything away, all he would have would be Jesus. I suspect that he needed possessions to authenticate his existence or to mold his identity. Jesus was not enough for Him. He needed more! What about you? Is Jesus enough?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating that you give away all your money. I agree with the man who remarked,”I have been rich and I have been poor…and rich is better.” But, here’s a personal question. Are you caught up in the game of accumulating things? If so, why do you do it? Is it to gain validation? I’ll let you in on a little secret … until you learn to authenticate your existence in Jesus only, you will always look for validation from others, your work, your accomplishments or from material accumulations.
No amount of wealth can validate you. In a short time, the sum total of property you will occupy will be an urn or a box in a plot 6ft by 2 and ½ feet. The important question today, therefore, is this, is Jesus enough? Are you thoroughly satisfied with Him?
Which is more important, your earthly income or your heavenly inheritance? Which is more important, the adulation of men or the applause of Heaven? Is Jesus enough?
Perhaps, on the other hand, you are ashamed because you feel that you don’t have a large enough income. But, why in the world should your bank balance matter for your validation? The Heavenly Father is not impressed by the amount of money any man has in the bank. What does impress Him, though, is what you think of His Son. Is Jesus enough?
As for your bank balance, remember how Jesus taught it? We read, “--- a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses” (Luke 12:15). God does not measure your worth by the amount of money you make.
You may think you have an unimportant job, but both your job and how you do it are crucial. Perform your job as an act of worship; do it to the glory of God. Let your validation come out of the fact that God has loved you, chosen you, called, died for you and adopted you into His Royal family. You are a child and heir of God. So, let’s ask it again, are you satisfied with Jesus? Is He enough?
Some Christians think that the way to validate themselves is through Ministry: This may sound strange, but I’ve known lots of people who have striven for a “big ministry” for no other reason than to validate their existence. Some young guys I’ve known have wanted to become Christian singer/songwriters just so they could become famous. But they’ve missed the point! There’s a lesson to be learned by all would be ministers, whether preachers of the Word or worship leaders. When Jesus called the twelve into ministry, we read that,
“He ordained twelve, that they should BE WITH HIM (Mark 3:12). ---That’s priceless. They were ordained, that they should be with HIM.
Jesus is enough!
And that’s the Gospel Truth!
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