I recently had a conversation with a young man who has become somewhat disillusioned with his christian walk. Although raised as a christian he now denies himself to be a christian. Here's why. Some time ago, he had been asking God for some personal things to be made manifest in his life, and much to his regret his prayers were not answered according to his specifications or, the way that he had hoped that they would be. He has not totally lost hope or faith or denied Christ, but his is waining, borderline. So his question to me was quit simply this: "How can you continue to just sit and hope and believe that God will still do the the things that he promised you so long ago, and not give up on that hope? What is the use in continuing to believe when it seems that God does not really answer our prayers?" Then he backed up his newfound phylosophy with this, "If something good happens then we believe its God. If something bad happens then we believe that THAT'S God. It doesn't matter one way or the other." He continued to say, "Just go after the money. That's what I believe in. Because once you have it, you can go anywhere or do anything you want. You can believe in that."
Wow. Well, after my initial suprise because I know how this young man was raised, came empathy, but then an understanding for the state of mind that he now finds himself in. He wanted something so bad, that when it didn't happen, he became disenchanted with everything he was taught to believe in, in his very up bringing. But even through all of the feelings that he incited in me, surprise, wonder, shock, empathy, I could in no way agree with him. So this was my response to him. Sweetie, (I call everybody by some sort of endearment), I understand your disappointment and the hurt that you are feeling because your prayers were not answered the way you wanted them to be, but I would rather wait on the promises of God and have Jesus in my life, than have all the money you could ever give me. Believe me, Iv'e had it both ways. Life with Him and life without Him. And I would much rather have life with Him. Sure there are things that I want and have been asking for; a new house, increase in finances, my business exploding with new accounts, all my children spiritually aware of who they are, and who they were meant to be in the kingdom of God. And while yes, money is a necessity and there are many things you can not do without it, money is not lord of my life. It does not rule me. It does not dictate to me. And it does not shape me into the woman of honor and integrity that I am.
Many times, we deviate into moral bankruptcy as our material fortune grows. Money does not change who we are, it only magnifies what Is already there. And we begin to forget ourselves. The selves that we are supposed to be. For according to Proverbs 10:22, "The blessings of the Lord maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it." And while there are many prayers and promises of God that I wait on, I WILL wait and I WILL be of good courage. And I WILL NOT faint. Psalms 27:14 says, "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." So, I will continue to pray for this young man, because I know, deep down in his heart of hearts, that there is still a belief, still a burning ember, however minuit, it is still there. And it will come back to life.
Now, tell us what you think.
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