Material vs. Spiritual

"'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declaresthe Lord Almighty." - Haggai 2:8 (NIV)Isn't it ironic that man works so ardently to own hisown home, shiny car, and adorn our fingers withprecious gems, and try as hard as we may, what weso-called "own" is not really ours anyway!"What?" you say, "How can that be?"Here is the scoop.

Everything which God created, from the silver,diamonds, furs and gold, our Heavenly Father owns. Forthat matter, we owe our very life, not just to ourparents, but to the Savior Himself, for without His divine intervention mankind would not even exist.

You see, you and I are not on this planet to make aname for ourselves in the business world, or to gatherall the material items we can afford, nor even to eat,drink and be merry. Certainly, God wishes our ultimatejoy and happiness, but our greater purpose is toworship God and love one another.

Again you say, "What? How can I worship God when Ican't even see Him?"

Everything we do and say is a testament to our faith inGod - or lack thereof. Either our deeds will glorify Him, or bring Himshame.

"Yes, but is it realistic to expect us to also love oneanother," you then say, "I mean, are we to also lovethose who murder, steal and rob us of our freedom?"

Love can take many shapes and forms. Certainly, lovecan be warm and mushy, and consist of hugs, kisses andkind words, but love also stands for truth and justice.The truth CAN be spoken in love, and although truth maysometimes sting, that pang may save someone's soul.The next time you are thinking about keeping up withthe Joneses, and worrying about how to get your nextraise so you can buy that great vacation home inHawaii, think of this little story and then ask, "Whatcan I do to better glorify God?"

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Contributed by Melanie Schurr (Copyright (c)2003 Melanie Schurr) Melanie Schurr is author of "Ecstatic Living Ecstatic Loving: How to have more peace and joy in marriage, and life in general by walking in harmony with God," and "Son Salutations: A refreshing collection of modern inspirations for those who seek God each day." For more information, visit her web page at www.angelfire.com/mi/melschurr