Valuing The Right Thing

One of my favorite shows to watch is called “Alone.” It’s a survivalist reality show where they drop off contestants in remote areas with ten items and some GoPro cameras. The last person standing wins. On season 11, there was a contestant named Timber. He had killed a moose and had been using the meat sparingly in order to survive longer. He continued to fish and hunt throughout in order to add to his food cache. At one point in the show, he talked about how he had been praying. He realized he was trusting in his food cache more than God’s provision. It was an important moment for him and he changed how he approached the game when he was confronted with that reality.

In Matthew 19, we read the story of the rich, young ruler who approached Jesus. He asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus responded by telling him to obey the commandments and listed a few. The man was thrilled because he had been following them since he was a kid. Culturally, people associated his wealth with his obedience to the Law. They felt God had blessed his obedience with riches, but inside he knew there must be more, so he pressed Jesus again by asking what else did he need to do. Jesus responded that he needed to give away his wealth, sell everything and give it to the poor. Verse 22 says, “But when the young man heard this, he left grieving and distressed, for he owned much property and had many possessions [which he treasured more than his relationship with God]” (AMP). That last line should catch our attention. He valued something else more than his relationship with God.

In Matthew 6, Jesus was again dealing with this mentality. In verse 24 He said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord].” What are you valuing or trusting in more than God? It’s easy to say nothing, but we need to have moments in life like Timber did where we reflect to see if there’s anything we’re trusting in more than God. What gives you a sense of security, status or control? What if God asked you to give that up? How hard would it be? We like to think of ourselves as better than the rich, young ruler, but the truth is we’re a lot like him. We must be willing to let go of earthly blessings in order to trust the blessing giver. He is our source. Being a disciple of Jesus is to value that relationship more than anything else.

Photo by West Kenya Union Conference Adventist Media on Unsplash