What is your attitude toward the problems in your life? Do you make every effort to eliminate them? Have you seen other people take this approach only to have it backfire on them? For there are problems inherent in an abundant life, and you diminish your life by trying to eliminate them. In addition this will cause the minor problems that remain to take on an exaggerated sense of importance, so you can become increasingly fussy over ever more trivial matters. But you can reverse this logic and make it work in your behalf. If you seek those things above you will encounter problems that are real and worthy, as Paul said that his light afflictions were not worthy to be compared to the glory to be revealed.

A certain man prospered so much that his barns would not hold the harvest, so he tore them down and built bigger ones. Then he was quite pleased with himself thinking he could relax, but I said he was a fool, because that very night his life was required of him, and he did not enjoy the fruit of his labors. Have you ever asked me to give you enough money so that you wouldn’t need me? Do you see how this presents a problem? Your need for me is inherent. The rich can only pretend otherwise. Blessed are those who know they need me whether they have much or little. I can pour out abundance on them without ruining them.

What matters most to you? Christians ‘know’ that the right answer is to seek first the Kingdom of God, and all the other things you need will be added unto you. Do Christians order their conversation and actions as if this were true? How often do you talk to other believers and find they are fiercely invested in the outcome of a political campaign, and this dominates their thinking? They cannot image anyone of good conscience would hold a different view. Yet my Kingdom is not of this world, and the candidate they campaign for is very much of this world. How would believers act if they did seek the Kingdom of God first?

Have you heard it said that you are judged by the company you keep? The counterpart to this is that you are judged by the company you avoid. I was judged in both ways. How often does your daily life put you in contact with the least of these? Do you prefer the company of those who are bright and affluent and popular, and structure your life to seek them out? Yet it was not these that I was referring to when I said, that when you had done it unto them you had done it unto me. It is more blessed to give than to receive. If you want more blessings, structure your life to have more opportunities for giving.