"So Hard"

Then Jesus looked at his followers and said to them, "It will be very hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God!" The followers were amazed at what Jesus said. But Jesus said again, "My children, it is very hard to enter the kingdom of God! And it will be very hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of God! It would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle!" — mark 10:23-25

As the disciples processed the information they had seen and heard in Jesus' interchange with the young man who went away sorrowfully (see the previous verses), they were shocked. Being on the poorer end of the economic scale, they assumed that the richer folks would have a better chance of making it into heaven. Jesus told them the exact opposite was true -- it would be harder for those who were rich to enter the Kingdom of God. This must be a sober warning to us. Most of us with access to a computer are so much better off financially than the majority of the world's population. Yet we often focus on what we lack rather than what God has given us to use to bless others and honor him. We must not let ourselves become possessed by our possessions and our desire for them. They turn our hearts away from God and become idols which replace God in our lives.

Today's Prayer:

O Father, bless me with wisdom, generosity, and a passion for your work as I seek to use "my" financial and material blessings to honor you and bring others closer to you. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.