A devout life does bring wealth, but it’s the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that’s enough(1 Timothy 6:5-6 Message).

Heaven doesn’t know you as the fellow with the nice suit or the woman with the big house. Heaven knows your heart. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Bible says the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:17). When God thinks of you, He may see your compassion, your devotion, your tenderness or quick mind, but He doesn’t think of your things.

Define yourself by your stuff, and you’ll feel good when you have a lot and bad when you don’t. Contentment comes when we can honestly say with Paul who said:

I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little(Philippians 4:12).

Adapted from Max’s book, Traveling Light.

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Used by permission.