Sunday, June 10, 2007

Do not toil to acquire wealth; be wise enough to desist
Proverbs 23:4


A few years ago I became acquainted with a man whom most would consider to be wealthy. Life had not been a continual upward progression from his humble beginnings. Over time he shared with me how he had made money, then lost it; then made more money and again saw it go away. “During those years” he confided “I was always focused on making more and more; my family suffered, my health suffered and I finally realized that my business was also suffering because of my priorities.”


Then he told me what turned his life around and laid the foundation for his wealth. “One day I was reading my Bible and came across a verse that changed my thinking. At first it bothered me, but then I did some research and talked to my pastor and discovered that the verse didn’t condemn working to build financial security but that it cautioned against becoming so focused on it that you become obsessed with simply getting more and more; you have to be able to walk away from it long enough to recharge and enjoy relationships.


"Once I learned this, and it took several months for it to really soak in, I found new peace, a clearer mind and most of all that I again was enjoying life, as well as my business.”

That verse is our text for the day, Do not toil to acquire wealth; be wise enough to desist