Sharpened Together - 21 October

Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life.
The Lord will not let the godly go hungry, but he refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked.
Proverbs 10:2-3 NLT

You can tell a lot about how I'm going by looking at my lawn. Five years ago we had fresh TifTuf turf laid front and back, and it woke up something in me: the desire to keep the grass sharp. But when work gets busy and stress climbs, the lawn is the first thing that suffers. It becomes a mirror. Uneven. Weedy. Dry. I'd decided it mattered less than the pay check.

What else am I willing to let go of to keep the money coming?
• Hobbies? Sure.
• Health? Probably (I didn't really feel like running anyway).
• Family time? Now it's getting tricky.
• Time with God? Now it's serious.

Nothing collapses overnight. It just slowly deteriorates. This scripture hit hard recently. “Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life. The Lord will not let the godly go hungry, but he refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked.” Proverbs 10:2-3 NLT

"Tainted wealth" typically means money earned unethically. But wealth can also be tainted by what we sacrificed to secure it: the right things we neglected and the God we shuffled aside for more certainty, comfort and security.

Jesus told of a farmer with a bumper crop whose only plan was bigger barns. God called him a fool (Luke 12:20), because he was so busy securing his future that he never asked what he was neglecting in the present. Jesus summed it up: “a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” (Luke 12:21 NLT)

The temptation to trade away what I value, my righteousness, for more financial security is real at the moment. The news, work pressure, job expectations and KPIs put pressure on me and try to create fear and anxiety. In spite of this, I'm encouraged by God regularly to hold on to what matters most first, trusting that God will always provide and that he honours faithful work and integrity. Right living isn't something to compromise for wealth and security.

God's path, as always, is radically counter-cultural: "Here's the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home." (Luke 16:9 NLT)

Generosity with our time and gifts, even in small measures, redeems what neglect might have 'tainted'. It brings us back to trusting God for our needs and invests in eternal relationships rather than temporary comforts.

Reflect:
1. How is your "lawn" looking?
2. Is God highlighting anything you might be neglecting right now?
3. Ask God to show you what matters most, and how you can still be generous, even in small ways.

Quick note for those doing it tough at the moment: God sees you and your faithfulness with the little. I pray that God blesses you with strong character, supernatural provisions and the generosity of people.