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Thoughts on material gain

Columnists
On this side of eternity you will have material needs. Shelter, clothing and food are necessary. Depending on your heart and taste, these necessities vary in description. Based on means, your shelter may not be just a roof over your head. You may consider what type of roof and where.

On this side of eternity you will have material needs. Shelter, clothing and food are necessary. Depending on your heart and taste, these necessities vary in description. Based on means, your shelter may not be just a roof over your head. You may consider what type of roof and where. Your clothing may go beyond covering nakedness and you will consider style, fashion and designer name. Food will go beyond just taking away hunger. It’s good to live, dress and eat well. A right attitude and pure heart will help you in your approach to this. Your motives should always be well founded.

DEVOTION: Erasmus Makarimayi

Your clothing may go beyond covering nakedness and you will consider style, fashion and designer name
Your clothing may go beyond covering nakedness and you will consider style, fashion and designer name

Living under the old covenant, Agur was mindful of the need to remain godly. He petitions God in Proverbs 30:7-9, “Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.” We need discipline and maturity to receive and handle wealth wisely. You would not want to be poor and you don’t want to fall under the load of riches you have no muscle for.

King Solomon chose to ask for wisdom instead of riches and honour which things follow wisdom. I don’t want to sound like I am blocking you advancing in material possessions. The church, where you go, needs to pay wages, electricity, water, etc. However I don’t want to elevate money above your head. The Gospel, the Grace of God, doesn’t advocate for poverty. Apostle Paul teaches us in 2 Corinthians 8:9: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

We don’t minister lack and poverty, but abundance. Please stand guided by Psalm 62:10, “Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.” At all times, let your heart be set on God.

The problem which uninformed Christians have is when they measure godliness with material possessions. Remember Jesus came to address the sin issue and its attendant effects.

Matthew 1:21 spells out His mission, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

Many have fallen into demonic traps because they were not seeking salvation, but material riches, houses, cars, spouses, etc. They ended up in the hands of satanic cults that offer riches in exchange of souls. Money is a good means of exchange; just avoid loving it.

1 Timothy 6:10 advises, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Please never be bitter with and envious of the rich. As we shall thoroughly study, material possession can be delivered by the hand of the devil. I will also be quick to state that not everyone who is rich got their wealth from Satan.

Deuteronomy 8:18 states, “But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.”

So wealth is an empowerment from God. Acts 16:16 show us that evil spirits can make one acquire material possessions. It reads: “And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: There are divinely orchestrated riches and satanically engineered fake or pseudo riches.”

Space will not allow me to exhaust this topic today. I will finish it next week. In the meantime to avoid leaving you hanging, always take note that godliness is not measured by material gain. 1 Timothy 6:5 advises us, “Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.” The Amplified version puts differently but quite instructively. It reads, “And protracted wrangling and wearing discussion and perpetual friction among men who are corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth, who imagine that godliness or righteousness is a source of profit (a moneymaking business, a means of livelihood). From such withdraw.”

Until next week, grace and peace be multiplied to you through knowledge. You’re going somewhere.

All Bible quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated. Feedback: [email protected] Fellowship with Pastor Makarimayi on Facebook and on www.twitter.com/PEMAKARIMAYI. Telephone +263 712 332 632