Jesus was poor. That's what I used to believe.

Then one day, instead of trying to fit Him into my ideals, I searched the scriptures and was surprised.

It all started when He was a baby. Men traveled from afar to bring Him ultra-valuable gifts.

Then, He comes straight out of the wilderness, finds twelve men, and has them leave their good-paying jobs to follow Him into a ministry that hadn't even started yet.

You might think that they all struggled after that. But we never read of them being hungry. Instead, we read of them caring for the poor along the way.

Apparently, they always had more than enough because one of the disciples was stealing the whole time, and Jesus didn't even address it until the end.

Even when it was time to pay taxes, Jesus just had one of the disciples go grab a gold coin out of a fish's mouth. No big deal.

How about His robe that the soldiers argued over because, even blood-stained, it was of great value?

Turns out, Jesus was the wealthiest man around. It was just hard to see because He invested it all in Kingdom business.

How do you know if money is ruling your life?

Before you do anything, you ask it for permission.

Is it worth the money? Do I already have the money? Do I want to use my savings on that?

Interestingly, Jesus instructs us not to even consider money as we live this life.

He promises that if instead we set our focus on His kingdom and righteousness, the earthly resources will come automatically.

If money is a part of our decision-making, we are not led by the Spirit.

A shocking, yet true statement. Because you can only have one master.

Who's yours?

Hiding your sin never pays off.

It's the equivalent of finding a thief and hiding him away in your home rather than turning him in.

That thief called sin will keep stealing from you as long as you keep it in hiding.

God can do nothing to help you until you stop covering it up. Guilt and shame will eat away at your soul until you finally confess it to your heavenly Father.

As hard as it is to admit that you've sinned, it's absolutely amazing how quickly relief comes.

God takes your sin, wads it up, and throws it into the fire. Never to be seen again.

But don't forget, the only way He can help you is if you bring it out of hiding and hand it over.

If you knew this about obeying God, it would make it a whole lot easier.

There are two sides to this conversation.

One side thinks obedience is irrelevant because our salvation depends solely on the perfection of Jesus.

The other side is so uptight about obedience that they disregard God's mercy.

This tension can be resolved by understanding this:

Obedience to God is not an obligation; it's an opportunity.

The Bible is full of promises, and a condition is always attached. If you do this, God will do this.

The condition is not how we earn the promise, it's how we access the promise. Think of the conditions like a roadmap to the blessings of God.

So, obedience is simply an opportunity to live life more abundantly.

But if you don't obey, you won't have access to the promises. Plain and simple.

Money is a little thing... according to Jesus.

So, if it is a big thing to us, it reveals that we need to correct the way we think about money.

The way we relate to and use money reveals so much about what's going on within us. It is a great exposer of things that don't belong.

However, most people are so uptight about money that they are blind to what it reveals.

The Bible says that where you treasure is, that's where the desires of your heart will also be.

In other words, the way you use money reveals what's important to you.

So, is it the kingdom of God? Or, is it pleasure, status, security, fulfillment?

The way you use money reveals your innermost thoughts and desires.

Do an assessment, humble yourself before the Lord, and let Him help you see money the way He does.

True humility leads to riches.

Kind of a shocking statement, right? Yet it is God's own words, found in Proverbs 22.

Why is it then that when we look at a rich person, humility is not what comes to mind?

On the flip side, for those living with barely enough to get by, we call it "humble living."

Could it be that we've been duped by the enemy? I mean, the devil sure doesn't want riches in the hands of a humble man who fears the Lord.

The enemy can't change the fact that riches come to those who are truly humble. It's a law God set in motion.

Since that's a fact, the enemy has two other options of deception. Either get us to believe in a false version of humility that is actually pride, or get us to reject wealth when it comes.

Which is it for you? Do you think it's humble to be poor? That's pride. Do you think riches are ungodly? That is also pride.

Why? Because pride discards the Word of God to get the pity and attention of others. Pride cares more about what people think than what God thinks.

So don't forget, true humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life. That's what God says. Align yourself with it.