In the Bible, we’re taught that everything has spiritual meaning. We’re told to not be selfish, all about me me me. We’re told to be selfless and help everyone else we can! So the execution of these instructions mean we need to think about life in terms of how we can maximally help others. Sometimes it is giving wealth we have. If we’re younger it can be strategizing on how to maximally earn wealth by getting an education, living a frugal life, saving, and investing so we can help later.
41 As Jesus sat near the Temple treasury, he watched the people as they dropped in their money. Many rich men dropped in a lot of money;42 then a poor widow came along and dropped in two little copper coins, worth about a penny. 43 He called his disciples together and said to them,”I tell you that this poor widow put more in the offering box than all the others. 44 For the others put in what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, put in all she had- she gave all she had to live on.”
Mark 12:41 (GNT).
A healthy, strong and educated 21 year old dude who has only a dollar to his name can’t just drop it in the offering plate and go to God, ”Dear God, I gave you my last buck! There, I did the widow’s mite. Now I’ll just relax and do what I want.” It is a good intention spiritually to give the last buck, but not for that reason. The 21 year old has a life ahead of him. He should be making moves to get a job. He should be preaching Jesus to everyone he comes across. He can’t just chill and take it easy doing no work or service to God. It is not the same as the widow’s mite if you have a lifetime of giving to do still. Get out there and see who you can help!
“When we are insulted, we answer back with kind words. We are no more than this world’s garbage; we are the scum of the earth to this very moment!”
1 Corinthians 4:13 (GNT).
So have you ever heard someone be called a loser? People look at your socioeconomic status and think,”This guy is living in rags. His car is junky. He lives with his parents. He has a bunch of debt. His job is terrible.” Some people judge people based on their stuff. That is a sin. You should look at everyone in their heart. What if said person lives like that because they help others?
It is easier to get wealthy if you are all for yourself. You do not help the poor. You do not drive to other people’s places to help em. Doing less work for others means you do more work for yourself. You do not donate to church. You can throw people under the bus to climb the corporate ladder. There are shady, nearly illegal things you can do to make money that a moral person out for others won’t do. So just because someone is rich doesn’t make them an awesome person. Things could be actually the opposite in actuality. The guy without a lot of stuff could be the winner. The guy with lots of stuff could be the loser if he doesn’t follow Jesus.
“But many who now are first will be last, and many who now are last will be first. “
Matthew 19:30 (GNT).
We are to die to selfishness. We are to live selflessly. We are to be all about others. Sure, get enough to get by. Try and pay down debt. Get the bills paid. Get a small emergency fund. Then if you have great faith, help others with your money. If you have lower faith, invest some now instead of giving it all now.
16 Then Jesus told them this parable: “There was once a rich man who had land which bore good crops. 17 He began to think to himself, ‘I don’t have a place to keep all my crops. What can I do? 18 This is what I will do,’ he told himself; ‘I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I will store the grain and all my other goods. 19 Then I will say to myself, Lucky man! You have all the good things you need for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night you will have to give up your life; then who will get all these things you have kept for yourself?’”21 And Jesus concluded, “This is how it is with those who pile up riches for themselves but are not rich in God’s sight.”
Luke 12:16 (GNT).
You can give a little even if you are investing a lot. Even if you just give 1% of your income, that is some. Bob Marley has a song called,”No Woman No Cry”. In it he talks about sharing porridge even when they extremely poor! Anyone can share. You don’t need to be super wealthy to do it.
“Don’t do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves. “
Philippians 2:3 (GNT).
We should determine how we can help the world. Get a job that helps the world some way you agree with. Then use some of your income to help others. This is humble for you are working for God. You are not out for yourself. And when you spend time in public, ”Also treat others like they’re better than you.”
A Quaker once wrote, ”A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit.”
“Whoever welcomes in my name one of these children, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not only me but also the one who sent me.”
Mark 9:37 (GNT).
So to be selfless is to ultimately make a world better for kids of the future. Invest in education. Invest in lower costs of living for all. This could achieve lower costs for houses, food, entertainment, culture, water, electricity, internet.
I tell people we should legislate that cable and fiber companies should share telephone poles like electric companies do to foster competition. That could lower costs for internet and tv. I tell people we should allow government to approve more houses to be built. Right now, we don’t approve enough housing to keep up with immigration and births in the USA and this leads to many people not affording to live. Many people get rich that houses due to housing getting more expensive, but it is a societal ill. Do what you can to make the lives of others better! These are just some examples to get you thinking.
There is a JFK quote, “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”
We should be doing the same thing for God. Pray, rely on God for everything. But live like you’re trying to express gratitude for Jesus dying on the cross. Jesus died for us because he loved us. May we live for Him to express love back. Amen.
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