Luke 16.15 warns, Jesus said to them, you are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized among men is utterly detestable in God’s sight.

This statement by God, warning us that what we value He despises, should terrorize us. Now certainly this cant be true in everything.

We prize health, doesn’t God want us healthy? Most likely He does though He certainly allows some to be born blind in order for His glory to be made visible through that weakness. We prize family, doesn’t God love family? God is the author of marriage, the beginning of family, so certainly He is pro-family. But God redefines family. He said His family are those who hear His words and obey them, that is the family we are to strive to be a part.

We prize money for it gives us pleasure and opportunity, God wants us happy doesn’t He? God never claims to want us happy, His desire is that we be holy as He is holy. It is holiness and righteousness that He says will make us happiest. God also took great pains when He lived among us as one of us in Jesus the Savior, to warn us that the love of money is the root of much evil and will constantly compete in our hearts for God’s place in them. He added, we cannot love both God and money. We sure do try!

We prize position for it demonstrates progress, hard work and success. Doesn’t God appoint leaders, give authority and command hard work? Indeed God calls some to be leaders but He redefines greatness at that position. The greatest leader of all is the servant of all. Likewise He claims that those representing His authority will be the slave of all and not live like pagans who use authority to control, manipulate and demand from people.

Finally, while God does command hard work He commands the fruit of that labor be used to care for our needs and then give for the needs of others who cant care for themselves. Giving is better than receiving He claims so He desires His people work hard so they can give more not accumulate more for themselves and retire earlier.

The chief concern we all must have is the will of God. It is before God we will all stand, He will judge us and determine our eternal future. Our works will be weighed and measured for they reflect what is true of our nature; the good tree bears good fruit while the evil tree bears evil fruit.

We should do everything we can to please God and do His will. In this way we will prove that His pardon of our lives because of the work of Jesus is justified, and since we worked to glorify Him on earth He will welcome us gladly in heaven.