Throwback Tuesday - More Than a Bargain - Martin Wiles

More Than a Bargain

We eagerly awaited the auctioneer’s first words. And finally they came: “Okay, the first item up for bid is…What do you give? How bout a ten dollar bid? Anywhere, anywhere?” Nothing. “What about a five dollar bid? Who’ll give me five?” Still silence. Finally, “Who’ll start me at $2.50?” My wife quickly shoved our card into the air, and the auctioneer gladly pronounced “Sold!”

We love auctions and have attended enough of them to know that one person’s trash really is someone else’s treasure. Finding jewels is exciting, especially when they’re bargains we can resell for a nice profit. Clean-out auctions are our favorites because we can buy countless treasures at bargain prices. Read more...

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Sidetracked - Martin Wiles

Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. Isaiah 30:21 NLT

Getting shoppers sidetracked is a retailer’s dream come true.

After a long day of sweating in the hot, humid temperatures of a South Carolina August, my wife and I showered and readied ourselves for church. Moving isn’t fun, but we had no choice.

Following church, we stopped by the local Wal-Mart for a few necessities: curtain rods and a gallon of milk. Tired from a day of moving, I said, “Now, we’re just going to get those two things and leave, right.”

“That’s all,” my wife remarked.

As we entered the store, we began walking in the wrong direction: the garden center. “You mom said they had chair cushions on sale.”

And so our visit went. Though we only came out with four instead of two items, I had to continually keep my wife pointed in the direction of what we came to get. My recliner was calling my name, but the retailer’s reputation for putting things in my wife’s path that attracted her kept getting her sidetracked.

God did His best to keep the nation of Israel on track. He sent prophets, priests, and judges who kept His ways before them, but they kept getting sidetracked. The pagan nations around them put more attractive things in their path.

I’m not much different than God’s people of old. In fact, I’ve been known to get sidetracked in Wal-Mart myself—just not over the same things my wife does. That’s how the enemy of my soul works. Through experience, he learns what attracts each individual. He won’t try to sidetrack me with clothes or shoes because he knows they don’t interest me. But he will throw up a few tech gadgets, a fancy calendar, or a recently released DVD movie.

I had to continue telling my wife not to get sidetracked. “Keep your eyes focused on what we came for,” I reminded her.

I have to do the same for myself. If I don’t, Satan will lead me in sinful or unhealthy directions. And like a puppy on a leash, I’ll follow if I’m not clothed in my spiritual armor. By the power of God’s Spirit, I can say no, get what I came to get, and go home.

Don’t get sidetracked by Satan’s attempt to convince you that you need things you don’t.

Prayer: Father, give us the power to say no to Satan’s attempts to sidetrack us. 

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Money: Evil’s Root - Martin Wiles

Series: The Things We Say

Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. Hebrews 13:5 NLT

“Money is the root of all evil.”

Though my standard of living would be considered rich by third-world standards, by American standards I’ve rarely lived a comfortable lifestyle. Making the monthly bills match the monthly income has always been a challenge. 

In spite of that, I’ve made the mistake more than once of buying things I didn’t need. My grandmother and mother often said, “That money is burning a hole in your pocket.” All the while, I was thinking, Well if I had more, maybe it wouldn’t. 

And somewhere along the line, someone would comment, “You know, the Bible says, “Money is the root of all evil.’” And I would mumble under my breath, No, it doesn’t. I was a preacher’s kid. I may not have always abided by biblical principles, but I knew what they were.

This verse is similar to the often misquoted one, For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Money isn’t the issue; love of it is. 

The Bible says a lot about money—or possessions. And they’re both the same. I may not have cash on hand, but if I have possessions (even stocks and bonds), I have money. Liquidating my assets would give me spendable funds. 

Jesus had a lot to say about money, and the disciples and apostles who continued His teachings carried on the tradition. 

One thing the Bible doesn’t teach is that money is the root of all kinds of evil. 

Leaving the word love out changes the meaning and distorts the truth. To be sure, those who have great amounts of money normally love it, but the principle remains: having money isn’t the root of all evil. 

Loving my money—in whatever form it takes, will cause me issues, not having the money itself. 

Money is necessary to pay my bills so I can exist in a monetary economy. Loving my money, on the other hand, will lead me down roads to greed, selfishness, poor decisions, crime, unhealthy relationships, and possibly an eternity apart from God. 

Instead of letting money be a root of evil in your life, use it to help others and advance God’s Kingdom work. Give graciously, sacrificially, and with honorable motives.

Prayer: Father, motivate us to use our money in ways that please You and better our world. 

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