Pheonix28
Slave to Christ.
Luke 16:13 ESV
Maybe money isn't your master. Maybe it's entertainment, food, drugs, alcohol, cars, comfort, the list could go on and on. Maybe your master is your family, or your work. No matter what your "master" is, until you give that up, you will never be able to serve God. Until you are willing to die to yourself, you can never truly live for Jesus. We cannot both serve ourselves and God.
This is the eternal struggle, living for God and not ourselves. Often times we will make ourselves believe we have died to ourselves. We can make lists that go one for miles of what we have done for others, or what we have sacrificed for this or that. How hard we have worked, how long we have volunteered.
While all of these things are good, are we still holding on to something that we are putting above God? Do we still put in 40+ hours a week at work to provide for our family, while we put God on the side? Do we go to the movies, or hang out with friends instead of spending time with God?
I'm not saying that these are bad things, but if we put them above God, then we have made them our God. He wants us to have joy, He wants us to be happy, He wants the best for us, as any Father does of his children. He also wants us to put Him above all else. Nothing can compare to the joy that we receive when we are truly in fellowship with God. Nothing can compare to the peace that He gives.
When we finally reach that point where nothing else in this world matters as much as God, then we can start to see the wonders that He has given us. We can start to see all the greatness that He has for us. We can have joy in the good times and the bad.
I'm not saying that we cannot have a good time, or that we should quit working. I'm not saying that we shouldn't enjoy ourselves; quiet the contrary. By giving all of ourselves to God we find true joy, true happiness, true peace. We find what we spend so much of our lives looking for, Love that encompasses every aspect of our lives.
He loves you more than you can ever imagine, never forget that.