Riches are defined as the total of one’s property, wealth, sustenance, and net worth. Riches are necessary to function in this world. With them, we buy goods, services, and other needs.

Is having wealth bad?

Riches in and of themselves aren’t bad. It’s how we view the riches that can make it bad. Riches can create an illusion that everything is accessible simply by riches and thus other things that riches cannot buy aren’t useful.

If riches aren’t bad what makes it deceitful?

People who are deceived by riches place their trust in their money and not in God. Mark 4 lets us know the seed of the Word of God gets planted into a man’s heart and there are different soils of our heart that the Word of God can either grow on producing fruit. Or, the Word of God can be choked or stunted not producing fruit in one’s life.

What can someone who has been deceived by riches do?

The great thing is God is good! He allows various seasons to come into our lives that humble us bringing us back to our need for him. There is a story in the Old Testament about a King named Asa. He was a righteous king who sought the Lord. As Asa grew in riches, favor, and notoriety with his neighboring kings; he began to withdraw his trust from the Lord.

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What are the Vices that you are holding on to in your life that replace your intimacy with God?

Part II

Continuing from our last blog regarding vices and intimacy with God:

5.) Make up your mind to suffer with God’s people. The Bible says that God will not allow us to be tempted above what we are able to bear, but will with the temptation make a way to escape, but we have to make a choice to do some suffering that may be required. As much as we hate to hear as believers, we are still called to deny ourselves, place our flesh under subjection, to suffer with Christ in order to reign with Christ, and yes suffering is a fruit of the spirit that is necessary because of this unsaved flesh that we walk in everyday.

One evening after a rough night of suffering with this flesh, God reminded me of Hebrews 11:25-27 where it says that Moses, by faith chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon dictionary defines “to suffer affliction with” as to be ill treated in company with or to share persecutions or come into a fellowship of ills.

Strong’s Greek Dictionary defines “to suffer affliction with” as to endure persecution together.

Why is this important? It’s important because when people suffer or deny themselves together, they draw strength from one another until deliverance comes. We have the promise of deliverance from God as believers because his word says many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth us out of them all (Psalms 34:19). While we are waiting on deliverance, we can grow strong together. Even though we face temptations and urges we gain strength when we see our brother or our sister standing.

A vice has the ability to cause a person to believe they are something that they are not.

Moses for a long time believed he was an Egyptian, which he was not. When Moses realized that being an Egyptian had been able to meet his needs for a season, but it wasn’t who he was nor what God had for him, he had a choice to make. Would he give in to the temptations of Egypt and allow Egypt to become a vice for him meeting his needs temporarily, yet not being what God has for him or would he walk by faith and see what God had purposed for him since the beginning. We see that Moses made the right choice.

One day he found out that he had been set apart for the Lord at birth with a purpose by God to be used as a deliverer to his people, and he made up in his mind to suffer.

He made up in his mind to suffer with the children of God until deliverance came, and deliverance came in a big and sure way.

I want to encourage everyone dealing with a vice to make up in your mind not to define yourself by that vice. That vice is not you. You are not a glutton, alcoholic, drug addict, porn addict, pre-marital sex or adultery addict. You are called by God with a purpose from birth so others can be delivered and set free. So, make up in your mind to suffer with other believers in Christ until deliverance comes.

Everyone has their own cross to bear. When you find out what your cross is, you have to pick that cross up and start bearing it. It’s not going to be easy, and that’s OK. When it gets hard we have to look at Jesus Christ and how he beared his cross to the point of blood (Hebrews 12:2). I’m sure it was hard for Jesus to be beat, spit on, talked about, and have his flesh ripped through, but no matter what happened he went right back to that cross because he had his mind made up to suffer for our freedom.

6.) Trust in the Lord as you let go of the vice. I would imagine that Moses had to trust God in that choice. At least as an Egyptian, he knew where his needs would come from. He knew he had a roof over his head, the finest clothes, plenty of food, and his choice of nearly any woman as a son of the Pharoah, but he gave it all up. That takes trust and faith to give up what you can see for what you cannot see. When he trusted God, it all turned out well for him. He found a wife, had children, had food raiment, and a new family to enjoy. He completed his purpose in God and was a great example to many generations. All that he knew all of his life as an Egyptian, and thought he needed all of his life, he did not really need at all. When he let go of his vice he found a much more fulfilling life. Don’t be afraid to let go of anything or any relationship that God is telling you to let go of. You can trust God to take care of you and all that you need. He is trustworthy. We can put our trust in God and know that He’s got us.

7.) Lastly, Strengthen your intimacy with God. What did Moses do when he found out that he was not an Egyptian? He strengthened his intimacy with God. Often times, intimacy or close fellowship with God is emphasized more so among women, but Moses was a man who began to have an intimate relationship with God. If you read back in the old testament, it shows how Moses met with God on a regular basis on that mountain. He talked with God all the time, and asked to see more of God. He was a person who had close fellowship with God. (Hint to the brothers. It’s ok to go crazy over God as a man. It’s not feminine nor does it take away from your masculinity, but it is necessary.)

People who do not maintain a close relationship with God get caught up in sin and vices more often than those who do maintain a close relationship with God. That’s why when Moses was up on the mountain after the children of Israel had come out of Egypt into the wilderness the people began to sin and worship idols partaking in all sorts of displeasing things because they should have been up on that mountain worshiping and getting to know God also, but they left it up to the pastor or leader. It’s not just for pastors and leaders to have an intimate relationship with God. It’s for everyone to have an intimate relationship with God.

We have to be careful that we don’t get so busy or so distracted that we prioritize everything else over our intimate relationship with God because it opens the door to so many things that can be avoided. Let’s not ignore the vices that have come into our lives, but deal with them starting with drawing closer to God.