Wealth That Really Counts

There are things in this world that money cannot buy. My middle brother and his wife came to visit last night and will stay until Sunday. They visit about twice a year and so each visit is so precious. Time with my brother and sister-in-law cannot be priced. Friendships likewise cannot be given a price. SSo many immaterial things simply money cannot buy. Yet, this chapter address something else concerning wealth.
The late J. Paul Getty was reputed to be the richest man in the world, He once complained to a newspaper reporter that inflation was hurting him and that a million dollars was not what it used to be! You and I probably would not know what to do with a million dollars, and I doubt if that much money would make a Christian happier or holier. Because we know Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are *he wealthiest people in the world. Ephesians 1:3 informs us that we Christians have been "blessed... with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." (p. 141).
I am not even sure what I would do with a million dollars and I certainly canot conceive of that amount of money. Yet, God has given us so much more. God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Initially it is not too clear what this means, but the author goes on to describe this.
"Our wealth is spiritual. We have the "blessings of the Spirit." These blessings mean much more than the material things of life. God has promised to meet all our needs, and He has given us all the spiritual blessings necessary, to live for Him and to glorify His name. Let's not measure life or spiritual stature by material things. Let's ask ourselves how many blessings of the Spirit we are reallv enjoying and investing in our lives. (p. 143)
The author does not specifically describe what these spiritual blessings are but he does say that these blessings enable us to live for God and glorify His name. The ability to worship and serve God are spiritual blessings. My big brother who is not a believer was at the dinner table when my middle brother and dad were talking about church matters. My big brother believed a certain church looked healthy because it has many people who attend. For a secular point of view, the number of people who attend an organization do seem to mark health. However, we know that a church can have a thousand people attend and not be healthy at all. It is the spiritual condition of those who attend that determine the church's health.

"But ejoymet of these blessings is conditional: we must yield to the Lord, trust Him, and by faith draw upon this vast spiritual weahh. A disobedient Christian is like the prodigal son: he has plenty of wealth and satisfaction with his father back home, but he can never enjoy it in the pigpen! God will never take awav our blcssings in Christ, but \re by our tmbelief or disobe
dience can rob ourselves of the enjoyment of these blessings. You were born rich when you were born again through faith in Christ. If you and I major on the spiritual blessings, you can be sure God will take care of the material blessings and mercies for us. Read your Bible and discover how" rich you are in Christ. Then kneel in prayer and ask God to help you appropriate these blessings by faith. There is no need to live like a pauper when you can live like a king!" (pp. 144-145).
Prayer:
Father, I really struggle with this chapter. I feel unmoved and not encouraged by it. For some reason it is not an encouraging chapter today. Maybe it is because I don't live like I am spiritually blessed and spiritually rich. Maybe it is because I am not living like a king. At the end of this day I feel drained and tired and that has an impact on how I feel spiritually. These days I do not live with a sense of joy and victory in Christ. Father, I pray that You enable me to feel and experience life as Your child, a child of the King, blessed with every spiritual blessing and rich in Christ.