| If someone asked me what was the most important | | | | a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven." |
| thing in life fifteen years ago I would have said | | | | Matthew 19:24. This verse stuck with me for a while. |
| money. Money was the god in my life and while I | | | | The Holy Spirit was convicting my soul over the fact |
| was getting my bachelors degree in Computer | | | | of money and where it played such a significant part |
| Science, I couldn't wait to graduate to start making | | | | in my life. |
| money. When I got a job at a publishing company | | | | I remember the company I worked for until it went |
| maintaining all their computer systems and making | | | | belly up, I was now in the throes of the unemployed. |
| $48,000 a year I felt I was well on my way to my | | | | I moved down to California and tried to get another |
| dreams. | | | | computer job but those were the days when all the |
| My dreams were to buy a nice house, a nice car, and | | | | dot com companies were going broke. So my |
| a great husband to share it with. That was my main | | | | brother-in-law got me a job selling Keebler cookies. I |
| motivator for life and that's what got me up every | | | | hated that job and I hated the fact that I couldn't |
| morning was to go out and make money and go to | | | | get a computer position. Little did I know that God |
| the best restaurants in town and be well known for | | | | was doing a work in my heart. I remember throwing |
| my accomplishments. I wanted to vacation in Hawaii | | | | tantrums every time I went to work and would cry |
| and the Caribbean with every vacation I got. | | | | at night for the loss of my old job where I was up |
| I came from humble beginnings and was poor all my | | | | to making $65,000 a year plus bonuses and raises. I |
| life but once I got my degree and started to make | | | | was so miserable with the fact that buying a home |
| good money, I felt like I was someone. I was able to | | | | and a new car while making $17.00 an hour was |
| take care of myself and that to me was an | | | | suddenly out of my reach. After all the hard work |
| accomplishment. I did it! I made a name for myself! I | | | | and the time I spent getting certified by Microsoft, I |
| worked hard to drag myself out of the hell hole I | | | | thought God was punishing me. |
| was in. I did it by myself and nobody could take that | | | | What I didn't know was that God was trying to |
| away from me. | | | | teach me that all the material possessions I received |
| When a good friend of mine shared with me the true | | | | were not going to make me happy. He was trying to |
| gospel which is the "good news" of salvation and that | | | | teach me that if I saved up all my treasures in |
| God saves sinners, that right there stopped me in | | | | Heaven that that would bring me much reward. |
| my tracks. I mean I knew I was a sinner but was | | | | Matthew 6:20 tells us to store up for ourselves |
| unaware that Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross for | | | | treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not |
| my sins. Man is by nature sinful and separated from | | | | destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. |
| God with no hope of remedying that situation. But | | | | My heart was in the wrong place as was my attitude. |
| God, by His power, provided the means of man's | | | | It took me a long time not to be angry with God |
| redemption in the death, burial and resurrection of | | | | about getting menial jobs that paid nothing. |
| the Savior, Jesus Christ. | | | | I finally accepted the fact that if I were to live for |
| When I became a Christian, everything about my life | | | | God, then God would be the one and only one I |
| changed. The more I got to know Jesus Christ the | | | | would worship. I made a decision that I would no |
| closer I became aware of my sin and the more I | | | | longer bow down to idols and worship them thinking |
| understood that money was the idol I was | | | | they were the way to my salvation. Jesus saves and |
| worshipping. I didn't know God was a jealous God but | | | | is the only one that can forgive. |
| He is and He wants you to worship only him. When I | | | | There are so many lessons in my Christian walk that |
| read a scripture in the Bible about a young rich man | | | | I had a hard time overcoming but money was the |
| asking the Lord what must I do to enter the | | | | hardest for me. Today, I pray that God places me in |
| Kingdom of God? God told him to sell everything he | | | | a place where I can make enough money to take |
| had and give it to the poor and come follow me. The | | | | care of myself and all my needs. Other than that, I |
| young man held his head down and walked away and | | | | am happy that God told me that He will never leave |
| Jesus said, "Again I tell you that it is easier for a | | | | me nor forsake me. That He will always take care of |
| camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for | | | | me and that I must trust in Him only. |