Wealth and Rewards

We all face choices in this life. I remember when my toddler daughter climbed up on a stool and was in a precarious position. I had to decide how to get her down safely. This experience reminds us that we must make Jesus the single most important person in our lives, and fulfilling his mission should be our top priority. If we make Jesus the Lord of our lives in this way, he has promised us immense riches in heaven. I want to share about a time when Jesus met a rich young man who asked how to inherit eternal life. Jesus told this man to sell his possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, and follow him. But the man went away full of sorrow, because he had great wealth. This story shows that it's hard for the wealthy to enter God's kingdom, because possessions can become idols that prevent total devotion to God. On our own efforts, it's impossible to earn salvation and enter God's kingdom through good works, since we are all sinful and fall short of God's perfection. But praise God - with him, all things are possible! Jesus lived a perfect life, died for our sins, and rose again, providing the miracle of salvation that we could never earn ourselves. When we place our faith in Christ, eternal life becomes possible.