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Back to Basics – The Money Mirage

by Pastor TJ Freeman - April 21, 2016

Have you ever been fooled by another person? No matter how wise you may be, I’ll bet that you can think of a time when someone pulled the wool over your eyes. It’s not fun to be fooled…but occasionally, it is fun to be tricked. Most people enjoy a good card trick or an illusion.

Some men and women have even made a living by mastering the art of illusion. Names like Harry Houdini, David Copperfield, and David Blaine are familiar because these men have gained fame and popularity simply by tricking our eyes. Most illusions are fun and harmless, but there are some illusions that aren’t enjoyable. To illustrate this, I want to invite you to join me on a journey.

Imagine we go on a trip together to visit a remote village in the middle of a desert. We get off the plan, hop into our rental car, and begin to drive down a desolate road deep into the hot, dry, and sandy desert terrain. About 50 miles in, the rental car begins to shudder and shake — we look at each other as we realize we’ve run out of gas! Now we’ve got no choice but to wander across the desert hoping to make it to civilization before it’s too late. We walk for miles when suddenly you see it! There, on the horizon you see palm trees and building. We’ve made it…we’re saved! In your excitement you begin to run toward safety, but it no matter how fast you run, civilization isn’t getting any closer… and slowly, it begins to disappear. That’s because it wasn’t civilization you were chasing after all. It was a mirage. Now your condition is even more desperate you spent your energy and your hope running toward help only to realize you were chasing an illusion. I’m willing to bet that you’ve never had an experience quite like that, but I am also willing to bet that you’ve spent a good portion of your life chasing an illusion.

The illusion I’m referring to is financial security. We have all been raised in a world that teaches us that having money is good, and not having money is bad. We’ve learned to trust money to buy us happiness and security. For most of us, this plays out this way: The more money or wealth we have, the more secure we feel.

On the other hand…the less money or wealth we have, the less secure we feel. Nobody wants to lay awake at night wondering how they’re going to pay their bills. Nobody wants to worry about if they’ll have enough money to buy groceries. Nobody wants to fret about whether or not they’ll have funds to retire one day or if they’ll have to work until the day they die.

These are all legitimate concerns…and it seems as if the answer to all of them is this – if I had a few more dollars in my pocket, then I’d feel secure. What concerns do you have in the area of finances? What would you do if you had a few more dollars in your pocket? Friends, what if I told you that financial security is nothing more than a cruel illusion and that in pursuing it, you’re chasing a mirage?

In 1 Timothy 6:17, the Apostle Paul says these words:
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

Have you ever stopped to consider just how uncertain earthly riches are?

Billionaires can become bankrupt overnight…
Thieves can steal our most prized possessions…
401ks can fail…
Savings accounts can vanish…
Jobs can be lost…
And all of the goods we purchased can be destroyed. It is so foolish to put our hope in such uncertain things.

And so Paul instructs Timothy…command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant or to put their hope in wealth. You may not feel like you’re very rich, but do you know what it means to be rich? It means you have more than what you need to survive today. Compared to the rest of the world, most of us are living in great abundance…and as a result, we live in danger of placing our hope in wealth and possessions, which are so uncertain. Instead, Paul tells us that we should place our hope in God! After all, He is the One who richly provides all things for our enjoyment.

Friend, if you’ve been chasing the almighty dollar, let me encourage you to look instead to almighty God. Don’t waste your life striving to gain something that will never satisfy your soul. Turn to Christ and trust Him to provide for you as you enjoy His blessing.

If you’d like to discuss what that means, please contact me using the information on Wellsboro Home Page.

Credits:

Writing: N/A

Produced by Vogt Media

 
 
 
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