The two most opposing gospels being preached in the 21st Century are prosperity gospel and poverty gospel. Prosperity gospel favours acquiring as much money, materials and other properties as possible. Poverty gospel sees no need for Christians to acquire much money, materials and other properties. Our devotional today is however, putting trust in riches. Riches by definition simply mean “an abundance of money, valuable possessions or property.” The desire to be rich and wealthy has taken the front burner of many people’s hearts these days. The secular people, religious people and every moral people think of how to be rich and wealthy now. Listen to younger ones, the aged and the adolescents, all discuss riches and wealth in millions and no longer in hundreds or thousands. Many Christians have embraced gospel of prosperity these days. Successful ministry is now defined by the abundance of riches and wealth of the gospel minister.
As it is these days, almost every human being places trust in riches and wealth. Trusting in riches and wealth shows when our hearts and minds are placed on the advantages get when being rich and wealthy. Trusting in riches and wealth is established when our hearts and minds treasure riches and wealth than anything else in our life. Trusting in riches and wealth takes over our confidence from God but make riches and wealth idols of life. A palpable manifestation of trusting in riches and wealth is in the desperate pursuit of the duo. People who trust in riches and wealth feel that one has to pursue them at all cost. Job was claiming his integrity when he said “If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold you are my security, then let briers come up instead of wheat and weeds instead of of barley” (Job 31: 24, 40 NIV).
This devotional feels that human beings can be more peaceful in life if trusting in riches and wealth is exercised with care. As Christians, we are to be cautioned not to put every of our trust in riches and wealth. It is not proper to allow riches and wealth take control of our life networks. It is seen that people who place all their trusts in riches and wealth are prone to causing havocs on fellow beings than building good relationships among men and women. This devotional is much at peace with the idea of one Jonathan Swift about trusting riches and wealth. He said in his quote that “A wise person have money in their head, but not in their heart.” If trusting riches and wealth becomes the function of head knowledge and not heart occupant, human being will handle riches and wealth better.
PRAYER:
Pray and ask God to reinvent your thinking faculty so that you place your trust more on your maker than riches and wealth in Jesus name.
bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch