More Important Than Wealth and Wisdom
Brother Bob Pellien: Money and intelligence can take you far, but even that has limitations. If you want to unlock amazing opportunities, the Bible tells us to look to God. You’re listening to the podcast version of God’s Message Magazine, and today’s topic is: More Important Than Wealth and Wisdom.
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Brother Bob: It is true that the basic necessities of life such as food, clothing and shelter are essential to man’s survival in this world. As such, a person must devote a good amount of his time trying to earn enough money to provide these things for himself and for his family, if he has any.
What is unfortunate, however, many people have come to depend only on themselves or on their loved ones for their life’s essentials. This dependence has oftentimes led to disappointments. Who, then, can man depend and count on to always be there for him to provide his every need? Who must man seek for his life and survival? The prophet Jeremiah wrote:
The Lord says, wise men should not boast of their wisdom, nor strong men of their strength, nor rich men of their wealth. If anyone wants to boast, he should boast that he knows and understands me, because my love is constant, and I do what is just and right. These are the things that please me. I, the LORD, have spoken.
[Jeremiah 9:23-24 Today’s English Version]
Brother Bob: Man should primarily depend on the Lord God, rather than on his own wisdom, wealth or abilities, which are all impermanent and limited. As God himself pointed out, only His love is constant, and only He can do what is right for us, which includes giving us the solutions to whatever problems we have. What further proves that man’s own efforts are not enough to solve all these problems? The wise King Solomon pointed this out,
You work for something with all your wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and then you have to leave it all to someone who hasn’t had to work for it. It is useless, and it isn’t right! You work and worry your way through life, and what do you have to show for it? As long as you live, everything you do brings nothing but worry and heartache. Even at night your mind can’t rest. It is all useless.
[Ecclesiastes 2:21-23 Good News Translation]
Brother Bob: Many people in this world have experienced this to be true. Many wealthy individuals, for instance, have invested a great deal of their time in acquiring education and training in order to become affluent and successful only to die and leave their riches behind to heirs, who may have had little or nothing at all to do with what they had achieved.
Moreover, a good number of rich people live very stressful lives and experience financial worries which in turn have caused not a few restless nights. Furthermore, man’s knowledge has failed to discover solutions to the biggest problems facing society. For instance, in spite of the tremendous increase of man’s understanding in various fields, the problems of widespread poverty, unemployment, and a general lack of peace still prevail in many places in the world. Man’s wisdom has not even found a cure for the common cold, much less a way to prevent a person from eventually succumbing to death.
Why is this life filled with so many uncertainties in the first place? Why has this world become such an imperfect one, and beset with troubles and confusions? God Himself proclaimed:
Listen, earth! As punishment for all their schemes I am bringing ruin on these people, because they have rejected my teaching and have not obeyed my words.
[Jeremiah 6:19 Good News Translation]
Brother Bob: People have only themselves to blame for the misfortunes that have befallen this world. Since the beginning of time, man has rejected God’s teachings and disobeyed His words. Many give very little regard or importance to God, as His servant Job pointed out,
The wicked tell God to leave them alone; they don’t want to know his will for their lives. They think there is no need to serve God nor any advantage in praying to him.
[Job 21:14-15 Good News Translation]
Brother Bob: Isn’t this exactly the kind of attitude many people in the world today have? People spend a great deal of time trying to become rich and successful. Yet they would spend little or no time at all in serving God or in praying to Him. Others even feel that it is counterproductive or it would be disadvantageous for them to spend their precious hours serving God and following His commands. On the other hand, there are those who say that they want to serve God, but they do so in an improper manner. As Apostle Paul foretold,
The time will come when people will not listen to sound doctrine, but will follow their own desires and will collect for themselves more and more teachers who will tell them what they are itching to hear. They will turn away from listening to the truth and give their attention to legends.
[II Timothy 4:3-4 Good News Translation]
Brother Bob: Thus, in as much as it is important to serve God, people must do it in accordance with sound doctrine. It is God’s will rather than one’s own desires that must be followed. Hence, in order for man to benefit fully from His grace and blessings, he must follow the road God chooses, do what He commands and obediently follow His will (Job 23:10-12).
And as the Bible teaches, a person will never stand to lose for dedicating his time to serving God, for he will receive the greatest reward.
This calls for endurance on the part of God’s people, those who obey God’s commandments and are faithful to Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Happy are those who from now on die in the service of the Lord!” “Yes indeed!” answers to the Spirit. “They will enjoy rest from their hard work, because the results of their service go with them.”
[Revelation 14:12-13 Good News Translation]
Brother Bob: Thus, if a person desires to serve God and receive His guidance and blessings in this life and in the life to come, then his service of God must be based solely on the Almighty’s will and commandments. God’s will for man to follow is explicitly stated in the Holy Scriptures, that is, for all men to be gathered together in Christ (Ephesians 1:9-10) by means of becoming members of Christ’s body, which is the Church (Romans 12:4-5; Colossians 1:18). The Church which the apostles referred to, is the Church Of Christ as recorded in Acts 20:28,
Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.
[Acts 20:28 George Lamsa Translation]
Brother Bob: To be in the Church Of Christ is to be cleansed of one’s sins, since the Church Of Christ is the only Church that was purchased or redeemed by Christ’s blood and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22).
Thus, man must not only place his faith in God and entrust his life to Him. Significantly, he must also make sure that he belongs to the true Church Of Christ. It is here where man is assured of happiness, and is given hope to overcome all of life’s woes and troubles. Most importantly, by joining the Church Of Christ, man is in compliance with God’s will and ensures himself of the Lord’s everlasting guidance and eternal love: here, now, and thereafter.
To find more articles like these, get your copy of God’s Message magazine, from a member of the Church of Christ. You can also find the podcast version on incmedia.org/podcasts or on iTunes or Google Play under INC Podcasts. Thank you for listening. I’m Brother Bob Pellien. God bless.
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