Many times in the Scripture, Jesus warns believers against the lust of the world. As Christians, we are enjoined to set our affections on heavenly things so that we would not be drawn into covetousness. Mark 8:36 poses a great question that every believer must reflect on.

Beloved, what is your spiritual state today? In Revelation 3:14-19, our Lord accused the Church in Laodicea of being lukewarm; they were neither hot nor cold. What could have been responsible for this? The answer is simple: They had been carried away by their material prosperity. Unfortunately, the Church today is just like the one in Laodicea; services have now become jamborees and we have ministers who are not genuine. Jesus described the Church in Revelation 3:17 as “…wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” This tells us one thing: if not properly managed, material prosperity could be very dangerous.

It may be easier for a person to fast when he barely has something to eat, than when his or her kitchen is loaded with all sorts of food. I remember many years ago when my meal was one finger of plantain per day. In those days if I dared eat two in a day, I would have to fast the following day. It takes the grace of God and strong determination to fast when your storehouse is full of assorted food. In the same vein, it may not take a longtime for a woman to dress up for Church service on Sunday morning when all she has is just two pairs of shoes. However, when she has to choose matching shoes among many pairs, she may end up struggling to get to Church on time. If King Solomon could ask God to take away the vanity of riches from him, how much more should we (Proverbs 30:7-9).

God called on Adam after he had sold himself to Satan and the three main temptations in history – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. He responded by saying he was hiding because he realized that he was naked. He was right: riches without God is spiritual unclothedness. Beloved, don’t be deceived. Only Jesus Christ can satisfy; nothing else can – not even the possession of the whole world.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.