There are countless things and opportunities in our world that are enticing to the flesh. As technology advances and the cultural shift continues to align more with what God calls sin, the more accessible and the more acceptable sin becomes. If we ignore, or lose sight of how the Spirit of God is leading us, we might find ourselves giving into desires that we once abhorred. We might find ourselves chasing things that are fruitless or maybe even sinful. Proverbs 23 verses 4 and 5 warns us with these words:
“Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.”
When we die we will be held accountable for how we have spent our time on this earth. Are you spending time chasing things that are fruitless or are you spending your time pursuing things that are spiritually fruitful? We can spend our entire lives trying to acquire wealth, possessions or status; things that are temporary; things that are ultimately fruitless. Chasing riches is what Proverbs highlights in this portion of scripture. But we are also warned in Matthew not to store up for ourselves treasures on earth that will not last, but to store up treasures in heaven that will last forever. Right now might be a good time for us to evaluate what we are spending our time pursuing.
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Proverbs warns us not to wear ourselves out to get rich. Yes, we need money to survive, but accumulating wealth for the sake of getting rich should not be our goal. It is ultimately a fruitless pursuit. We all need to take stock of how we are spending our time. Are we pursuing things that have eternal rewards? Or are we spending our time pursuing things that are temporary; things that may one day spout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle, as this proverb says? I encourage you to evaluate how you spend your time; that at the end of the day, the Spirit living inside of you and the scriptures that highlight God’s heart will attest that it was time well spent.