Is Your Hand Wide-Open or Clenched?

Posted on July 22, 2019 by America's Keswick in Victory Call

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. — 1 Timothy 6:10

One night during dinner years ago, I was having yet another interesting conversation with my son who was 17 at the time. His perspective usually brought a smile to my face and sometimes a chuckle. Then there were the times when the depth of his perceptions, for a young man his age, simply amazed me.

That particular evening, he was sharing his passion for music and his belief that God is calling Him into worship ministry. He must have been thinking about the pay scale of most people in ministry because he made the comment that the money doesn’t matter. “After all,” he said, “money is like cake. Too much of it is not good for you and you are always supposed to share.”
Now, really, how may people really think like that? Isn’t there a saying that “He who has the most toys in the end, wins?” As “good” Christians we cluck our tongues and sigh at such a worldly attitude, but when it comes right down to it, isn’t that how many of us live?

When I see people driving around in expensive cars, or not-so-expensive cars with “spinners” which can run into thousands of dollars I cluck my tongue and think about the underprivileged children that could eat, sleep or go to college with that money so easily spent. If you have an expensive car or “spinners”‘, keep reading because this isn’t really about you. You see, if I’m going to cluck my tongue, I need to be clucking it at myself first. I may not own a fancy car or a fur coat or “spinners” but compared to the rest of the world, I live extravagantly. I have much more than I need, and I enjoy it.

I don’t believe it is sinful to own and enjoy things that are beyond our needs but I hope we can remember it is only because of God that we can enjoy such blessings and that it doesn’t really belong to us anyway, it all belongs to God. Once we get a death grip on our money, possessions, relationships, etc. they take the place of God in our life.

My question for you is: Is your hand wide open or clenched? Are you willing to share what you have with others that do not have?

That simple statement my son made really is rich with Biblical truth.

Diane

Written By Diane Hunt: Diane Hunt serves on the board of America’s Keswick and provides ministry support from her home in North Carolina. She is also a biblical counselor and women’s event speaker. For more information about having Diane speak at your next event please contact her at dhunt@americaskeswick.org.

Think About This: “Yes, thou art ever present, power divine; not circumscribed by time, nor fixed by space, confined to altars, nor to temples bound. In wealth, in want, in freedom, or in chains, in dungeons or on thrones, the faithful find thee.” – Hannah More

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 23-25, Acts 14| You can download our 2018 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.” – Isaiah 26:3-4

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the doctrinal and theological views held by America’s Keswick.

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