MORE PRECIOUS THAN DIAMONDS - THE LOVE AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD
Some years ago in an African country, there was a very high-ranking politician of cabinet rank who was close to the president. This person was a professing Christian and a close friend of mine.
She came to our ministry office one day and sat down with my team leader. She then reached into her handbag and took out a fistful of diamonds and said, "Do you think that Pastor Christopher could take these to America and sell them for me? I will split the proceeds with him!"
In those days (like today), corrupt politicians were looting the country's diamonds with impunity, for their own personal gain.
My team leader said to her, "Please put these diamonds back into your handbag and never bring these here again. Pastor Christopher will be very angry because he never touches such things."
Soon afterwards this lady died a sudden and untimely death. She left this world but could not take with her the diamonds and the wealth that she had amassed. Whatever plans she had, suddenly came to naught.
Thinking of her, the following thoughts came to me:
1. Do not live to amass earthly treasures unto yourself. They cannot add even a second to your life, and when you go, you cannot take them with you. You will have to leave them behind. Temporal things are not worth living for.
2. The only true value of the wealth of this world is in what we can do with it to spread the Gospel to the lost, and in what we can do with it for the widows, the orphans, and the poor.
3. Wealth is good. God gives us wealth to enable us to spread the Gospel and to help the poor, but NEVER lower your integrity and your principles for the sake of obtaining wealth. From the perspective of eternity, it is simply not worth it.
4. If you are called to preach the Gospel, then preach the Gospel instead of being distracted by lucrative temptations of easy wealth. Always remember that God is our source. Shady "business deals" of diamonds or gold are NOT our source.
5. Remember that true prosperity is not measured by what car you drive or the size of the house you live in. True prosperity is measured by the Light of the Son of God shining in the eyes of people whose lives you have touched by using what God has put in your hand.
6. Remember that opportunities to acquire money, such as the one that I was presented with, will come to you. These will be tests of your faith and your purity. Are the Biblical principles of financial purity and integrity worth more than money? Is your integrity worth more than diamonds? Is Jesus truly your portion and your source? Is your faith in God and in His Word stronger than the temptation of easy wealth?
7. Remember that hard work, purity, walking with God, and sowing seed always work. God has promised us abundance and provision for us to fulfill all that He has called us to do!
"By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honor, and life." Proverbs 22:4
When we pass these tests God always takes us to a place where He entrusts us with greater things than He does today.
"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
2 Cor 4:18
Originally posted on Facebook by Pastor Christopher Alam