We are a richly blessed people.  Even the poorest of us have more than what most people in the world have.  From the time that we are very young until we are old our materialistic society preaches to us that things will make us happy.  Things will make  us content.  Things will make  us sexy and younger, and slimmer and better.  Almost every TV commercial we see appeals to either the lust of the flesh (that will make me feel good, that will taste good, that make me happy), the lust of the eyes (that looks good to me and I just have to have it) and the pride of life, (I am better than you, this gives me an edge, this makes me more beautiful, smarter, wiser, cleaner, and so on and so forth.) 

As we go through grade school we are judged by the clothes we wear, how much they cost, and where our parents bought them.  In High School it is ramped up a bit and we have to have the latest gadgets, gizmos along with the latest fashions, and a nice car.  When we are adults we judge one another by our cars, our houses, our bank accounts and our careers.  We tend to think more highly of the doctor and lawyer than we do the garbage man and the septic cleaner.  We tend to respect the nicely dressed, and well put together person, with the blig bling and the hot rod. 

After we put away our clothes, our homes, our toys, our bank accounts, our titles and careers we are all people.  People all have the same basic needs.  We need to be loved, accepted, forgiven, trusted, believed in, cared for and encouraged.  Why have you and I been blessed so much?  It is so we can be a blessing to others.  God gives us the power to get wealth but that wealth is not to be consumed upon ourselves, rather it should be used to increase our sphere of influence over others.  A city on a hill can not be hid.  Men will glorify God when they see our good deeds!  How many of us can not be impressed with Ty Pennington and his crew of dedicated workers?  They give without expecting anything in return and they lack for nothing.  Our mission in this world is to be "salt and light to the world."  The salt preserves, the salt heals, the salt purifies and the light pierces the darkness and gives men the ability to see clearly.  When we do good people are able to see God in us.  Many of us think because of our great wealth it is an attraction for men to see what you do and how you made your money and they can do it too.  However, our great wealth is to be shared and used in a way to maximize the influence of the kingdom of God in people's lives.

When we stand before  the Lord at the Bema Seat and give an account of the deeds done in our body, I don't think we will be given an A+ for how much money we have left in the bank, rather how much of it we gave away in the name of the Lord.  We won't be given an A+ for how often we went to church, but rather how many souls we brought to church with us.  It is time that we trade our affluence in for influence.  What do you say?