GIVE ME MORE

Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. – 1 Timothy 6:6-10.

When we are young with all of life stretched out before us, and even when we get a bit older, we sometimes think that if we could just get our hands on enough money we would be set for life. We could have the best of everything, buy all the stuff that goes to make life comfortable, overcome all our problems and have lots of friends. People will go to all sorts of lengths to achieve this goal – sometimes even destructive things such as drug dealing, burglary and fraud. In the process they ruin their own lives and often the lives of others. This way of thinking is called materialism and it is one of the most prominent and harmful characteristics of our present-day society.

But the Bible (which is God’s Word to us) tells us that this idea is wrong! Money and all the things it can buy is not the most important thing in life. I have talked to lots of people with plenty of money and they will tell you it is not the answer to life’s greatest need. It does not bring lasting satisfaction and many of these people are still looking for something that will bring them real peace and happiness. It may bring a certain amount of security in this life, but it does not prepare us for eternity and to meet God. It is true that we do need some money in order to provide our daily necessities. But if we make it the main goal of our lives we will surely be disillusioned.

The richest man who ever lived was King Solomon and many of the things that he said have been recorded in the Bible. He said, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired!” (Ecclesiastes 2:10). Imagine that! Solomon had so much money there was absolutely nothing in the world he could not buy. Nothing – except peace, lasting joy, satisfaction and a worthwhile purpose for living. This is why he went on to say, “When I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” 4

Now Solomon knew what he was talking about. As far as the material scene was concerned he had gone right to the top. He had more money, things and land than we could ever dream of, but he concluded it was not the answer. When he approached the end of his life on earth he gave some exceptionally good advice that we should pay careful attention to. He said, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them’.” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Solomon knew that if he left God out of his life the time would come when there would be nothing left to live for, and all his wealth would be meaningless.

He came to realize that the greatest need we have in our lives is God Himself. God created us to have a relationship with Him, but we have all wandered away from Him because of our sin. Isaiah tells us that “all we like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6).

But the Bible also tells us what God has done to meet our greatest need. He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to pay the price for our sin. When He was born in the little town of Bethlehem, the Angel instructed Joseph that His name was to be called “Jesus” which means “Deliverer” or “Saviour”. Upon the cross at Calvary He died and in His death He took the punishment for our sin. Three days after His death He rose again and, after showing Himself alive to many of His followers, He ascended back to Heaven.

He is the only One who can deliver us from our sin and make us right with God. It is only through Him that we can know God and have Him in our lives. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). You need, above everything else, to open your heart and life to the Lord Jesus and receive Him as your personal Saviour and Lord. You can pray to Him right now, asking Him to cleanse you from your sin and invite Him into your life.

“Kia mahara ra ki tou Kaihanga I nga ra o tou tamarikitanga, I te mea kahore ano kia tae noa mai nga ra o te kino, a kahore ano kia tata mai nga tau e ki ai koe, Kahore oku ahuareke ki enei tau.” (Kaikauwhau 12:1) “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them’.”

(Ecclesiastes 12:1).