"Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." Matthew 6:34
The owner of a Jaguar in New Jersey was so enraged over a $25 repair bill on his speedometer that he did $36,000 worth of damage – to his own car, to a police cruiser and other cars, and to the garage doors.
Yes, people do foolish and harmful things, even when they don’t lose their tempers, because they have a false sense of values. Nowhere else does this become more evident than in the realm of spiritual choices, as the Bible amply demonstrates. The prodigal son in Jesus’ parable was willing to exchange his home and a father’s love for fleeting and deceitful pleasures. Judas Iscariot, a thorough-going materialist, betrayed his Savior for 30 pieces of silver. None of the rulers of this world, writes Saint Paul, understood what salvation and eternal life were all about, for otherwise they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.
In our age, people’s sense of values needs a close look. Psychiatrist Frances C. Welsing, addressing herself to loveless parents, has written, “This culture has attempted to substitute material things for emotional needs, and it doesn’t work. As a result, even children from well-to-do families are getting into all kinds of trouble with drugs and sex.”
Of what use is wealth when children perish from spiritual poverty? What enjoyment can anyone find in worldly fame and fortune when it costs him or her their marriage, their health, their happiness?
God Himself proposes a set of values that assures peace with Him and with oneself. Jesus said that people do not live spiritually from bread but from the Word of God. He tells us of this priority: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things [the things we need for everyday life] will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33).
When we love God above all things – love His Word, love the salvation He prepared for us all in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ – we bring our sense of values into clear focus.
PRAYER: O Holy Spirit, give me a better understanding of the issues of life and give me greater faith in Jesus, my highest treasure. Amen.
(Devotions from "With Jesus Every Day" copyright 1997, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time emailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: Proverbs 27-29 Acts 5:1-21
To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"