The Rich Man

Posted on November 02 2009

“How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God…it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” – Mark 10:17-27.

I was reading this today about the story of the rich man, and it struck home like never before. I have heard and read this passage so many times before, but never as an adult who is responsible for where my money goes has it spoke to me like it did today. I was challenged by this statement that Jesus made to his disciples after telling a rich man to give up everything he owned to follow Him.

Was Jesus telling me that I need to literally sell everything I own in order to follow Him? I don’t believe so. I believe He was asking me, “Are there things in your life that are preventing you from following Me?” That’s when this passage came alive to me, because I know there are things in my life that distract me from know Jesus more every day. Maybe it’s TV, or sleeping in, or other forms of entertainment. There are so many things that consume our lives that we use to try to fill up that empty space in our lives, when it’s Jesus who can really fill us up and complete us.

My challenge for you today is to ask yourself that very question. Are there things in your life that are preventing you from following Jesus? Where do you spend a majority of your time? Where does all of your money go? That will tell you a lot about what’s important to you. If you don’t spend time with Jesus every day, what’s preventing you from doing so?

I find myself trying to come up with ways to make more money and be more “successful” in this life very regularly. I put so much time and effort into making my time on earth what I dream of, that I forget what this life is really about. God calls us to be fishers of men, to spread the Gospel and His love, to have no other gods before Him. I can think of many gods that I have placed before Him over the course of my life, but those things will eventually fade away. One thing will remain, and that is that Jesus died on the Cross to save us, even though our lives are filled with sin.

It’s our job to take what He has given us, and declare it as His. Don’t be consumed by the things of this world, but focus your heart on obeying what God wants for you. Get rid of everything that prevents you from living a full life in Jesus, and you will be blessed! Better yet, when this life on earth has passed, you will find an eternal home in Heaven where there are no tears, no pain, and no sorrows.