Upward Devotion for the week of Jan 17-21
CONTENTMENT: Part 2
Review these items:
• Virtue: CONTENTMENT is deciding to be happy with what you’ve got.
• Scripture Verse: I have learned to be content no matter what happens to me. Philippians 4:11b (NIrV)
Everybody knows what a dollar bill looks like, right? Of course! But have you ever taken the time to really look at a dollar bill? You’ve probably never taken the time to really look at a dollar bill. But I’ll bet you’ve spent plenty of time thinking about what you could BUY with a dollar bill—or quite a few dollar bills to be exact.
There’s something else that you may have never seen. On the back of every dollar bill, it says, “In God we trust.” Do you know why it’s so cool that our money says this? Because it can act like a warning label or a reminder. It’s so easy for our stuff—the stuff we can buy with a dollar bill to get in the way of our relationship with God. Think about it. The Bible says that your heart will be where your riches are. In other words, your heart—your love, devotion, and trust—are going to be in whatever you treasure most, the thing that’s most important to you. So if our stuff—stuff that breaks, that we outgrow or that we get tired of—is what’s most important, that’s where our love and trust will be.
But God doesn’t want us to trust in money. He wants us to trust in him! He wants to be your richest treasure because he doesn’t break, get shrunk in the wash, or become outdated! So the next time you pull out a dollar of your allowance or birthday money, remember what it says on the back—in God we trust. It’s okay to buy something you want but don’t build your life around the stuff that won’t last like the rich man in Luke 12. Build your life around what’s really important—your relationship with God and with others.
Discussion Questions
(K-2nd Grade)
• What comes to mind when you think of the word treasure?
• What do you treasure most? What can you do to start treasuring God above anything else?
(3-6th Grade)
• What things do you treasure? Do you consider yourself as someone who treasures God? Why or why not?
• Why do you think so many people seem to trust in money more than they do God?
Prayer
God, your love, your grace, and your mercy are just a few of the things we treasure. It’s tempting in this world to trust in so many things other than you. We trust in money. We trust in our possessions. God, forgive us for times we’ve put our trust in anything other than you. We want to honor you with the things you’ve given us. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
Review these items:
• Virtue: CONTENTMENT is deciding to be happy with what you’ve got.
• Scripture Verse: I have learned to be content no matter what happens to me. Philippians 4:11b (NIrV)
- Bottom Line: Don’t build your life around stuff that will never last.
Everybody knows what a dollar bill looks like, right? Of course! But have you ever taken the time to really look at a dollar bill? You’ve probably never taken the time to really look at a dollar bill. But I’ll bet you’ve spent plenty of time thinking about what you could BUY with a dollar bill—or quite a few dollar bills to be exact.
There’s something else that you may have never seen. On the back of every dollar bill, it says, “In God we trust.” Do you know why it’s so cool that our money says this? Because it can act like a warning label or a reminder. It’s so easy for our stuff—the stuff we can buy with a dollar bill to get in the way of our relationship with God. Think about it. The Bible says that your heart will be where your riches are. In other words, your heart—your love, devotion, and trust—are going to be in whatever you treasure most, the thing that’s most important to you. So if our stuff—stuff that breaks, that we outgrow or that we get tired of—is what’s most important, that’s where our love and trust will be.
But God doesn’t want us to trust in money. He wants us to trust in him! He wants to be your richest treasure because he doesn’t break, get shrunk in the wash, or become outdated! So the next time you pull out a dollar of your allowance or birthday money, remember what it says on the back—in God we trust. It’s okay to buy something you want but don’t build your life around the stuff that won’t last like the rich man in Luke 12. Build your life around what’s really important—your relationship with God and with others.
Discussion Questions
(K-2nd Grade)
• What comes to mind when you think of the word treasure?
• What do you treasure most? What can you do to start treasuring God above anything else?
(3-6th Grade)
• What things do you treasure? Do you consider yourself as someone who treasures God? Why or why not?
• Why do you think so many people seem to trust in money more than they do God?
Prayer
God, your love, your grace, and your mercy are just a few of the things we treasure. It’s tempting in this world to trust in so many things other than you. We trust in money. We trust in our possessions. God, forgive us for times we’ve put our trust in anything other than you. We want to honor you with the things you’ve given us. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
