The prophet Haggai is upset because the people are more concerned about their lifestyle than about the house of God. How much money have you put into your house, compared to God's house? Would you be willing to live in an apartment in a poor section of town to give more to the kingdom of God? Are you more concerned about evangelizing than modernizing? Would you cut back on your food budget to increase your giving to the poor and starving?
Our lifestyle is a false god, and our pleasure-seeking is idol worship. When we seek first God's kingdom, everything else will be given to us (Mt 6:33). If we seek everything else, we are unfit for the kingdom of God (Lk 9:62). The Lord alone is God. He permits no other gods besides Him (Ex 20:2-3). We must repent, confess our sins, and build His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven (Mt 6:10). The Lord is merciful; He will forgive if we acknowledge the sin of living the typical American lifestyle.
| PRAYER: | Jesus, may I make the choices You made concerning lifestyle. |
| PROMISE: | "For the Lord loves His people, and He adorns the lowly with victory." –Ps 149:4 |
| PRAISE: | The Smiths gave up their house in order to be ministers of charity by living in community with others. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College