All that glitters...
"But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, 'Although Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the LORD my God, to do less or more."
(Numbers 22:18)
There's a crazy story in Numbers 22-24, surrounding a guy named Balaam. It involves angels with flaming swords, mountaintop sacrifices, divine cursing, and a talking donkey. It's a kick! The basic character, Balaam, is a prophet-for-hire who gets courted by King Balak of Moab to curse the people of Israel. To his credit, Balaam says he can only do and say what God tells him to.
That's what he tells the first delegation, at least. But then a second delegation (with officials "more numerous and more distinguished") return. This time, instead of the "usual fees" in hand, they come with the equivalent of a blank check. King Balak promises "whatever you ask," they tell Balaam.
Wow! Think about that for a moment. A king is asking for you to name your price for your services. If that offer came to me now, as pastor of Palmdale UMC... what might I ask for? To fund a new staff position at church? To make a large donation for missions? To pay off our 15-acre property loan (which is about $600K right now), so we can start planning to build on it? Of course, those are all church-related requests... what about personal ones? Like paying off our house in Hawaii? Or repaying the student loans that my kids have taken out during college? Or investing a big chunk of cash, so Jody can stay home and do the things she loves (like quilting!)? Or traveling with the kids to somewhere in Europe over the summer?
But our man Balaam is nothing if not consistent. "I can only say/do whatever God tells me." Wow. Way to go. He even says "for a house full of silver and gold" he couldn't go against the LORD. What great resolve!
We humans sometimes get rather stupid when it comes to money, finances, and gifts. We get enticed and often "adjust" our morals to fit the situation. But there's a lot more to life (and a meaningful life, at that) than simply having money and wealth. And yet... it's so tempting, isn't it?!?!
May I keep my focus and resolve like Balaam. As a pastor, especially... to speak and do only what God says to do. That's indeed a worthwhile goal! And by spending time reading the stories of the Bible (and scripture journaling), I'll have a better sense of just what God wants from me - both as a pastor and as an individual person of faith.