You know how everyone says everything happens for a reason? I’m guilty of it all the time, especially when someone asks or questions why something in their life has happened. I say well I don’t know why but.. “Everything happens for a reason” And I think to myself well why did I just say that if I don’t know the reason. As people we have this desire to have a reason for why things happen in our life because then we can have the answers. Yet sometimes we just don’t have the answers or shouldn’t know them. Do you ever think why we say “everything happens for a reason.”
I think that reason is God, letting him take control and learning to trust what is happening in my life. This still doesn’t explain why people die or get cancer, or any other terrible thing that happens. But it does explain that we need to trust God and know that he has a BIGGER reason and purpose for our lives.
This morning I found out that my car is going to cost $2000 or more to fix, and I have only have 3 months left until I was going to get rid of it when I leave for the World Race. I started to cry as I realized how am I going to pay for this, loans and pay for the World Race/gear? Why is this happening now? Come on God I need a break, just another thing to worry about. Is it really worth it to spend the money on a car that I will barely use for 3 months? Before today I didn’t realize how much time I spent thinking about money and calculating how much I’m making vs. how much I’m spending. Some days I get anxious about money or I am stressed about how it affects my daily life.
But… as I listened to a sermon at my church this past weekend my pastor said “We can’t serve both God and money” hmm I thought, what does that even mean? If we want to be satisfied we have to find our identity in Christ, and you need to choose Christ first and put everything else second. My pastor talked about giving up all things in life that seem better than Christ, they are not, they are simply rubbish!
Christ is always better.
Paul gave up popularity, a scholarly career, he gave up wealth and material things. He did this all to follow Christ.
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” This says you have to make a choice between God and money, and I stepped back and thought about this “well it’s not that easy, I can’t live without money.” How can I just trust God to always provide money, I have to work for it and earn it. Well yes but what my pastor said next was super cool. He said, if you let money get in front of God you will miss out on experiencing Jesus.
Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is there your heart will also be” In which where your money goes your heart goes. Is money or Christ more valuable to you? This hit me real hard and made me realize that money is a blessing from God and it can be taken away in a second. What can’t be taken away is Christ… he is the constant and is never going to leave me.
Now, after hearing this and as I think about this upcoming year I realize how much is going to change and what I will learn on my mission trip. 3.5 months until I leave for a year to serve and love others around the World. That being said I have $11,500 more to raise, but I know that God will provide. He has already provided $6500!!! Money is only an object and I am excited to learn and work towards putting God before money.
I choose Christ.
