Growing up with Jesus

I recently saw a post online that caught my attention. It was talking about the cost verses the value of everyday items.

The essence of it was that as you get older you begin to relize certain things like..

A $350,000 automobile like the Morgan Areo Coupe will take just as far as $40,000 Minivan infact the mini van might have more value because it can haul more then 2 people.

Also a 1,000,000 dollar home holds the same lonlieness as a 30,000 dollar home.

A 300 dollar wallet holds the same amount of money as a 30 dollar wallet

A 18,000 rolex, watch tells the same time as a 20 dollar casio

Bottom line the value you get out of things is not always proportionate to the cost we pay for them.

Truth be told when it comes to value we as a society have really messed up our priorities. We tend to put way too much value on the wrong things, and then we start to associate our value with the objects we surround ourselves with.

We are told from a very young age that those whith the biggest house, most expensive car, biggest boat, lake house and so on are mre successful and therefore more important.

When tragedy strikes who do we look for for guidence. Is it people that actually know anything? No we seek the opinions of celebreties. Athletes and actors who are famous for throwing a ball or pretending to be other people. But their fame seems to credit them with some sort of authority.

We live in a commercial age where we are told more stuff and more money and more fame is what we should be seeking after.

And we wonder wy mental illness is on the rise. With this buy philosophy we become nothing more than hamsters spinning on a wheel. We work 8 plus hours a day to make money so we can buy new stuff. When we are not working we break said stuff or ware it out and then throw it out. Then we have to make morte money to buy more stuff.

It is like gathering sticks to replace the sticks we gathered yesterday.

If this is all there is to life, no wonder so many people are depressed. Of course as Christians we don’t fall into this trap, we know better.

Well we should know better it seems to me we are just as susceptible. Go to Beluah and you will see good Godly people trying to keep up with the Jones’ so to speak.

Or look at our phones and how often we do early upgrades to keep up with the latest trends, because we don’t want to look outdated.

Sometimes I wonder how much of what we actually have,we actually need. And no it is not a sin to own things. I am not saying we should sell it all, unless God tells you to. I am just saying when it comes to value too often we put far too much stock on things that are here today and gone tomorrow. And what is worse is when we go into debt in order to keep up with the newest and flashiest garbage.

Some of us are spending next weeks money on things today that will be in the trash before we even have the money to pay for that item. So when we get the money we are literaly paying for garbage.

I am not the only one who feels this way. Many have grown tired of the commercialization of life.

And low and behold this is not a new problem.

We are in the middle of a series called, Growing up with Jesus.

This is a series where we are preaching through the book of James the brother who grew up with Jesus.

Today we will be looking at James 1:9-18

James 1:9–18 NLT

Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements. God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

Where does true value come from?

From God!

Me: I like my car but if my car, but if my wife was in my car and had an accident. What do you think I would value more? God has given me a lot in my life, but there are somethings that have more value then others. I am greatful for every meal. Those meals keep this body going, but one day even this body will wear out. So as glad as I am for my earthly needs, I am even more greatful God provided for my spiritual and emotional needs.

We: We are all blessed beyond measure. Whether we are rich by worldly standards or not for God knows what we need and He provides according to His riches in Glory. There are people around the world who look like they have nothing but are richer then we will ever know.

God: This is the lesson that James is teaching here...