In response to yesterday's email, a dear reader asks:
“If Jesus said, ‘You can do nothing apart from me,' why are there so many with great wealth who don’t know God?”
The answer involves looking at life from more than one dimension...
If you look at life only horizontally, it appears people are capable of doing plenty without Jesus.
But when you add the vertical dimension of God and His eternal kingdom, there is more than meets the eye.
For instance...
When Jesus says "apart from me you can do nothing," He's speaking of bearing fruit for His kingdom.
It's possible -- by God's common grace -- to accomplish many worldly things, without acknowledging the One behind it all.
But when it comes to glorifying God and having value in His kingdom, these things are worth nothing.
Also...
Pursuing certain achievements and wealth for their own sake can be downright hazardous.
Jesus Himself warns... "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?" (Mk.8:36).
From this we can see that wealth... on its own... is not a good measurement of the real value of one's accomplishments -- from an eternal perspective.
Indeed, God may bless faithfulness with wealth... in the here and now.
But He may also bless in other ways to suit His purpose for our lives.
And that's why we're to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, knowing that He will allot the measure of prosperity He knows will be best for us and the kingdom.