“This is what the LORD Almighty says: Consider how things are going for you! You have planted much but harvested little. You have food to eat, but not enough to fill you up. You have wine to drink, but not enough to satisfy your thirst. You have clothing to wear, but not enough to keep you warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!” (Haggai 1:5-6 NLT)
A while back I started leaking nickels and dimes. They just disappeared. I didn’t know where they went until one day I felt something cold slither down my leg and fall tingling on the pavement. A quarter! My old favorite pair of jeans had holes worn in the bottoms of the pockets. Maybe it was time to buy new pants…
I suspect many of us feel our wages disappearing as if we had holes in our pockets or purses. Gorge on a double quarter pounder with cheese, and four hours later you’ll be $4 poorer and hungry again. Guzzle another Starbucks, and you’ve got $2 worth of caffeine jitters to get you through another Monday morning. How many of us have a closet full of clothes, but nothing we want to wear? How many of us get to church Sunday morning, embarrassed to find three crumpled dollars and some lint in our pocket?
There are only so many ways to stretch a dollar, and by the time we try to do everything we want, there just isn’t enough left for the things we need: paying bills, helping charities, supporting our families, and giving back to God through the church.
Haggai’s words above were spoken to a dissatisfied people. They had placed their priority on their own comfort above their obligation to God. What was true for them is also true for us – if your main goal is having “plenty” for yourself, you’ll never have enough. You won’t be satisfied, and God won’t be satisfied. Happiness is not just one more shopping trip away.
How are things going for you? Is it time to trade in your holey jeans for some Holy Spirit? Make a budget, and make sure that you put God’s priorities first in your life. Spend your money in a God-wise way, and you will find the true, deep satisfaction that comes from serving others before serving yourself.
– Pastor Park