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Don't Be Ashamed Of God's Blessings
Bible study on our attitude toward God's blessings.

Sometimes I talk to Christians who almost apologize for having a material possession like a new car. They try to explain why they have it, or how they got it without paying full price. Sometimes I want to tell them, "Don't be ashamed of God's blessings!"

Why Do We Do This?
Frankly, I've done the same thing, almost apologizing for God's blessings, or at least trying to explain them.

We might not want others to feel bad that we have something they don't, or we may not want to appear materialistic.

More likely, though, we want to display a humble attitude toward our brethren. "Love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own" (1 Cor. 13:4-5).

We Shouldn't Be Ashamed
When displaying a humble attitude toward others, we don't have to be ashamed of God's blessings.

Abraham was a wealthy man who had his own army, and was equal to any king in Palestine. Once, when Lot was in danger, Abraham formed a coalition and defeated the three kings who had conquered surrounding cities and taken Lot captive.

Although Abraham was a humble man who possessed great wealth, he wasn't ashamed of God's blessings.

Likewise, we shouldn't be ashamed of the great wealth God has blessed us with.

If You're Not Comfortable. . . .
If you're not comfortable with the blessings God has showered upon you, something is wrong.

Perhaps you don't have a proper perspective. Or maybe you feel guilty, because you're not enjoying your wealth in a godly manner maybe you're trying to serve two masters, both God and wealth (Matt. 6:24).

Jesus gives us the perspective we must have as wealthy people, in Matthew 6:19-21.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Writing to Timothy regarding the message he should preach, Paul further explains this perspective in 1 Timothy 6:17-19.

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

We should view our wealth as a blessing from God. He desires for us to enjoy these blessings, while using them as faithful stewards.

We shouldn't be ashamed of the great wealth God has given to us, unless we aren't faithful stewards.

It Takes Balance
Many things we do take balance. Jesus had to balance his hectic schedule, to get the rest He needed to continue His work (Mk. 6:31).

He also had to balance His work, while observing the Sabbath law and healing on the Sabbath (Matt. 12:8-13).

Priests, too, had to balance their responsibility to keep the Sabbath holy, while performing their work in the temple on the Sabbath (Matt. 12:5).

Today, we have numerous things to balance: church, career, family, friends, personal work. . . .

It Takes Balance: Humble But Not Ashamed
It takes balance to be humble, while remaining unashamed of God's blessings. We don't arrogantly brag about our wealth, but we're not ashamed of it either.

We're sensitive toward brethren who have less, never wanting to make them uncomfortable. At the same time, we don't need to apologize for God's blessings.

The apostle Matthew and Zaccheus, who were rich men as a result of their professions, weren't ashamed of their wealth. And we shouldn't be ashamed of our blessings, as long as we humbly fix our hope on God.

It Takes Balance: Enjoy Wealth While Generously Sharing
It takes balance to enjoy our wealth, while generously sharing and working in God's kingdom.

It's hard to know how much of our wealth to spend on personal enjoyment, and how much to spend laying up treasure in heaven (sharing, doing good for others). But if we're completely devoted to God, we'll strike the right balance.

The more we're given, the more treasure God expects us to lay up in heaven (Lk. 12:48). If we're rich like Zaccheus, we could give up to half our wealth. But if we're poor like the widow in the temple, we may only give two pennies.

Conclusion
We shouldn't be ashamed, unless we're not faithful stewards. Then we should be ashamed of our behavior.

But if we're laying up treasure in heaven in proportion to our wealth, we should enjoy God's blessings. We shouldn't be ashamed.