We’re using the summer as an opportunity to re-align our lives to the Lord as many of us step away and rest from the daily routines and demands of life. This week’s devotion helps us evaluate our view of material wealth through how much we spend on vacations:

IN WORD When we sit in God’s presence and seek His mind, His Spirit will convince us of the treasure we have in His name. Ephesians 1, one of the great chapters on what it means to be “in Christ,” tells us that we have “every spiritual blessing in Christ” (v. 3)—redemption, forgiveness, knowledge, hope, the Holy Spirit, security, and an incorruptible inheritance. God has lavished such imperishable gifts on us. They cannot be taken away, they are immediately accessible, and they could not possibly be any greater. We are indeed highly favored. Yet the problem from our present perspective is this: We don’t know how to access these precious gifts.
We see our physical needs as much more urgent and our heavenly riches as much more distant. We’re happy about the salvation we’ve been given, but it won’t help us take that much-needed vacation today. We’re excited about the prospect of heaven, but it won’t pay the mortgage this month. We’re thrilled to be seated with Jesus by God’s throne, but that doesn’t secure the position we need to advance our career. Or does it? It all depends on how we see our mortgages and careers. Are they tools for godly living? Or are they a means to secure our heaven now? Do we leverage the goods of this world for eternal purposes? Or do we spend them on our momentary satisfaction?
Where are we really investing? Does our full portfolio major on spiritual realities? Have we learned that current investments can have everlasting returns? If so, our income and expenses are really very spiritual. They build God’s Kingdom.
IN DEED Materialism is deceptive. We are encouraged at every turn to live the high life, go for the gusto, grab life by the horns, and hang on to what we’ve got. We are obsessive about our upward mobility. Our problem is that we’ve forgotten how to define “upward.” Know your citizenship in heaven and invest in it. Take care of your physical needs and the needs of others, and then live in the Kingdom of God. It will forever pay dividends. “A man there was, though some did count him mad; the more he cast away, the more he had.” – John Bunyan (in “Walking with God” by Chris Tiegreen)

Many years ago, there was a Sunday school class at the Seattle campus on understanding material wealth. The principle the teacher shared has always stuck with me. Being on the wealthy side, the brother shared that however much he spent on himself, whether it be vacations or a luxury car, he also made sure that he offered an equivalent amount to God. This practice helped keep him humble, remembering where his wealth came from, and rich toward God. This brother, after nearly 20 years since he taught the class, continues to quietly live this way today.
Does your annual offering and the time you give to God equal or exceed how much you spend on yourself – including how much you spend on vacation? Take time to reflect on Matthew 6 this week and ask the Holy Spirit to help re-align your understanding of material wealth with the Lord. Have a blessed week! - from Magnolia, Pastor Sam