Be Rich in Love

Now behold, one came and said to (Jesus), “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

He said to him "...if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

"All these I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" 

“If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."  (Matthew 19:16-17, 20-23 NKJV)

Have you ever felt like you have it all but something is missing? You have a home, family, worldly possessions, education, work, leisure, freedom… But you feel lost, frustrated, disappointed, and discontent?

The conversation above involved Jesus and a young man who had it all in terms of wealth and possessions. It also seems that he came from a good family who had taught him right from wrong. He wasn't among the poor that were so prevalent at this time in Israel. He wasn't needy, wayward, or corrupt. He was a good man who had many blessings and had likely worked hard for them.

One day this young man came to Jesus. He was rich. He was good. He had no physical or material needs, unlike so many others who were drawn to Jesus. So he asks Him, “What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”  That was something he knew money couldn't buy, but he supposed he could earn it somehow.

This is where things get interesting because Jesus doesn't answer the question the man asked. He didn't say, 'If you want to have eternal life, keep the commands.' Instead He says, "If you want to enter into life..." This wording suggests something different than life after death. It's more like, 'If you want to start really living.'

He tells him to follow the Commandments—Do not kill, cheat, steal, or lie; Honor your parents; and love your neighbor. The young man says he has followed these rules. “What do I still lack?” he asks. Obviously the young man realizes Jesus is answering a different question than the one he asked. He knows Jesus is talking about what is missing in his life today. 

Jesus tells him if he wants to be "perfect" (complete), to go sell his possessions, give the money to the poor, and to follow Him. Again Jesus is offering him something he didn't verbally ask for, but Jesus knew what was missing: what money couldn't buy but the man lacked in his heart. The "treasures" of life: love, goodness, faith, kindness, compassion, knowing God... The man rejects these things, however, and walks away, feeling sorrowful. He couldn't give up the tangible for the intangible.

Ironically, it's the intangible things that bring true joy and the tangible things that leave us empty. The things of this world are worthless. The treasures of heaven are priceless.

After the man walks away, Jesus says to His disciples, "It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." A few chapters earlier, Jesus tells many parables in an attempt to explain “the kingdom”. It seems that no one comparison can adequately explain it, so He gives many, but one of them would have resonated with this young man better than the others.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." (Matt. 13:44)

Jesus wasn’t asking this man to give up everything to be left with nothing. He was asking him to exchange what he had for what was so much better. For the things he lacked and needed for true life. Not just to be a good, successful person who followed the rules, but to live with passion. Passion for others. Passion to make a difference. Passion for God and what He was all about.

Jesus was all about love, mercy, faith, and joy. He talked about these things extensively. He lived them relentlessly. He taught the HOW and WHY and POSSIBILITIES of radical faith. The fruit. The harvest. The abundant life. Real Treasures of The Kingdom.

Many see Jesus as the way to life after death. But He invited others to follow Him and find life before death. To live a life of faith, not fear. To trust and obey. To love radically. To experience true joy. To discover the hidden treasures of really living.

You may not have a lot of money to give to others, or maybe you do, but the key to this story is to give whatever Jesus leads you to give. To be rich in love and faith. To let go of fear, selfishness, or whatever holds you captive and keeps you from experiencing all that God has for you.


“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:32)

You have been called to live in freedom…Use your freedom to serve one another in love. (Galatians 5:13 NLT)

The Faith To Wait

"Be still, and know that I am God…" Psalm 46:10



As a child, I remember waiting for certain moments—like Christmas, birthdays, and summer. I often felt like I couldn't wait to receive gifts, be another year older, or for school to be out. Back then, having to wait a week or a month seemed like forever! I'm sure you can relate to that feeling, but little did we know our adult lives would also require a lot of waiting:

Graduation, getting that first job, falling in love, getting married, having children, getting a full night's sleep again, getting a better job, that dream job, that dream vacation, waiting to be healed from an illness or injury, for so-and-so to change, for retirement, for the kids to come home for a visit…on and on the waiting goes. Benjamin Franklin said, "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." I'd like to add, except death, taxes, and waiting!

There are times when waiting is a mere inconvenience, and other times when it's nearly unbearable. You think, Will I ever get there? Will my dream ever come true? Will things ever get better? Will this hardship ever end? Maybe it's hopeless, Maybe I should give up.

Waiting can be annoying, waiting can be extremely frustrating; but waiting can also be purposeful. Waiting can make us appreciate things more when they finally come. Waiting can remind us of all the blessings we already have. Waiting can be a time of deep reflection: It can help us focus on what we truly need or what is really important. Sometimes a time of waiting ends in getting what we want, and other times we gain new perspective and head in a new direction that leads to paths we never considered.

You have probably experienced some or all of these benefits of waiting at different times, and when it comes to waiting, perspective is invaluable. It can keep you going. It can keep you from giving up. The right perspective can ultimately make dreams come true when each stepping stone carries you all the way to your destination, and it can definitely make the journey much sweeter, no matter where you end up.

When it comes to faith, waiting is often involved; but sadly, waiting is often seen as evidence of a lack of faith: 'If you had more faith, this wouldn't be happening to you; If you had more faith, your child would be well by now; If you had more faith, your dreams would have come true a long time ago; If you had more faith, God wouldn't be testing you like this.'

Have you ever heard these kinds of judgements from others, or have you ever thought them yourself? While a lack of faith can certainly result in less than ideal circumstances, it should NEVER be attributed to anyone simply because their prayers and desires are not being immediately granted. It's actually the opposite: Having the faith to wait is faith's strongest form.

Jesus said to the woman who had waited twelve years for healing: “Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment. (Matt. 9:22)  She was healed at the moment Jesus said she was healed, but I highly doubt that was the first time she had hoped and prayed for healing. She had been waiting for twelve years, and that day finally came! Why? Because she had lacked faith before? Or, because she still had faith after so much suffering?

The writer of Hebrews talks about this enduring kind of faith: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (11:1)  The desired result, the healing, the fruit, the change is not yet a reality; but it's coming, you can feel it. How long it will take, you have no idea—probably longer than you want it to. But in the waiting, sweet treasures can be found, if you take the opportunity to see what's already available:

More time with the people already in your life while you wait for who or what is "missing". Enjoying the qualities of others while you wait for their imperfections to be refined. Feeling good about how far you've come while you wait to reach the next step in your journey. Enjoying each day for whatever it holds.

More time with God, more enjoyment of HIM. More listening. More trust. More dependence. Anything you need to feel better, safe, fulfilled, satisfied, purposeful…you can find those things in His presence and His love.

Don't believe me? Try it. When you get done reading this, take a moment, a minute, five minutes, twenty… Just be with Him and listen. Just be with Him and be loved. Just be with Him and say, 'I trust You. I'll wait.'

In the Darkness, Believe in the Light

At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  Mark 15:33-34

Jesus spoke these words while He was on the Cross. Perhaps your darkest times have left you with the same feelings of despair, abandonment, and doubt. Doubt in God's presence and doubt in His love. Jesus was God, but He was also fully human. He had a human body, a human mind, human limitations, and human emotions. The Gospels tell the story of Jesus’ life and ministry, and they reveal many of these emotions. Emotions that we too have, like joy, love, and compassion, along with anger, frustration, sorrow, and loneliness.

In the middle of a crisis, have you ever thought, ‘God, where are you? Why have you let this happen to me? Why have you left me all alone in this?’ Jesus did. And He didn’t just think it; He shouted it for all to hear! 

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 

He said this, but had God really abandoned Him? I don’t think so. Jesus felt alone, but He wasn’t. And He knew that. He knew the truth. Jesus was quoting words from Psalm 22, but if you read further, you know what He would have said eventually, if He would have had the strength. He obviously didn't, but He would have remembered...

All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment. But you, LORD, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me...I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you...For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. (Psalm 22:17-19,22,24)

And in another prophetic Psalm we read these words Jesus would have known well: I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken...my body will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. (Psalm 16:8-10)

In the middle of great trials, confusing circumstances, and everyday life, my thoughts can become overcome with feelings of abandonment and aloneness. I feel like no one can possibly understand what I'm going through, and God is nowhere to be found. His promises seem false. He has failed me.

But just because I think that, doesn’t make it true. God does not forsake us. He does not forget. He does not leave! How did Jesus overcome such a time of feeling abandoned? He believed the truth. He trusted God. In the middle of the darkness, He believed in the light; He believed He would still be heard. Mark 15:37 tells us: With a loud cry he breathed his last. Whom do you think He was crying out to?

God will sometimes take us to that point where He is all we have left and crying out to Him is our only hope. But the key is: He is our hope. He is there. He is over it. And we are never alone.


Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.  Psalm 61:1-4