When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Luke 18:22 (ESV)
A spirit of fear leads us to pursue the wrong people and things.
For example, fear may cause you to avoid relationships with faith-filled, risk-taking people. They might be just the friends you need, but you feel more comfortable with people who share similar fears to yours.
Luke 18:18-23 provides an example of this. A rich young ruler approached Jesus and asked what he had to do to receive eternal life. Jesus responded by telling him to keep God’s commandments. The young man declared he had. Then Jesus addressed the heart of the matter and answered the prince’s question in today’s verse.
What was the real issue? Jesus knew the prince’s security was rooted in his wealth, and the thought of being without it scared him. Unfortunately, his fear of financial lack caused him to place his trust in the wrong treasure. According to Luke 18:23, it ultimately caused him to choose his wealth over the one thing his money couldn’t buy: a personal relationship with Christ.
Now, just to be clear, Jesus had no issue with his riches, just with what ruled his heart. Had the young ruler obeyed Jesus, fear would have lost control over him. And as it cleared out, he would have seen and pursued what was more important.
Maybe you feel like the young ruler, allowing fear to dictate your decisions. If so, choose to make Jesus your top priority. Spend time with Him, grow in His Word and govern your life by what He says. Follow Him, and you will lack nothing!
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