What Are You Laboring For?

The Million Dollar Life

By William M. Self, Sr

"You have plenty of good things laid up for many years.

Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."

Be rich toward God lay up for eternity

“Seek his kingdom, (righteousness, peace and joy)

and these things will be given to you as well.”

What Are You Laboring For?

We have all heard it said…

“He who dies with the most toys wins”

Most of us want a life where we can take it easy.

Where we don’t have to cook a meal,

we can go out to fine restaurants.

Then go about our merry way having
the time to play video games,

Face Book, use the toys, and relax.

Sounds like the life a millionaire could afford.

It is the dream many of us have.

So why did Jesus say this dream ticks off God.

Jesus views this type of life as a form of greed.

Many of us if we became a millionaire

would be “living the dream”.

Jesus says the dream is…

“Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."

And He warns those with that dream to

wake up because tomorrow you will die.

So what is the goal? 

How should I dream?

Jesus says… “Seek his kingdom”

In Romans, we get a definition of the kingdom…

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,

but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,

because anyone who serves Christ in this way is

pleasing to God and approved by men.” Romans 14:17-18

The contrast is eat, drink and be merry

verses righteousness, peace and joy.

The sting of death takes the victory over the greedy life.

It is in this reality of death that the Scriptures say…

“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.

Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully

 to the work of the Lord, because you know that your

 labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

If we can remove greed from our lives,

 Jesus says we can have our cake and eat it, too.

 

“But seek his kingdom, and these

things will be given to you as well.”

Labor is good if you are

working for the right thing…

Righteousness, peace and joy.

You can take that with you when you die.

 

Scripture Reading

Luke 12:15-31 NIV

"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed;

a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." 

16 And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'

18 "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' 

20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'

21 "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself

but is not rich toward God." 

22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

27 "Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.