empty pockets

“Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.”’”

Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!

“You have sown much, and bring in little;
You eat, but do not have enough;
You drink, but you are not filled with drink;
You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
And he who earns wages,
Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”

Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord. “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”

—Haggai 1:2-11 (NKJV)

Ever wondered why life is so challenging or why you struggle financially? Is it frustration to keep working so hard but not see any substantial progress?

Have you ever considered if your service to the Lord is lacking in some way? Are your priorities about you only and not about God and honoring Him in all you do? Are you more concerned about building your life than seeking the kingdom of God?

In reading Haggai, I realized that we too can fall into this trap and not even realize it. We could be so focused on building our house (our lives, our careers, our wealth, etc.) that we miss the mark and put God on the back burner of our lives. We could be found having an “I” attitude and not be God-centered people.

Today, I’d say to all of us, “It is time for us to build the kingdom of God.” We may not have a physical structure to build such as a church, hospital, clinic, teaching center or library for people in need. But we do have a spiritual building to construct – the body of Christ. How do we do this? First, know Christ personally, intimately, feelingly. Next, make Him known – to compel others to come into the kingdom.

We can build God’s kingdom through preaching the gospel, teaching His word, sharing His love or caring for those in need. We build when we actively participate in different ministries within our church such as administrative work, hospitality, prayer or intercession, cell groups, and so on. Whatever part we play it would please God to see us building His kingdom.

I’ve just given a few ways we can build but often times we don’t want to do anything because life is just too busy. What are we so busy doing:

• Building our houses or doing some kind of home improvement (vs.3)
• Working and trying to make more money which never seems to amount to enough (vs. 6)
• Socializing with friends – which often takes priority over spend time with God or with our family

If we examine our daily activity, the honest response we should have is “Lord forgive me for focusing so much on me and so little on You.”

If we consider our ways as Haggai said we would realize that we are often banging our heads against the wall, or striving so hard in life and making no substantial progress. There are Christians who can attest to the words in Hag. 1:6 which I summarized in this way – Spinning the wheel of no progress. You invest a lot but receive a little return. No matter how much you eat or how special your meals, you never feel satisfied. As for clothes you think you must the latest fashion or you want more. You work hard but the money is never enough. Frankly as soon as it is earned it is gone.

Then we wonder why we struggle so much.

In my book Financial Empowerment, I share some of the reasons why we financially strapped but in this word the Lord really brings to light our heart motive. We look out for ourselves more than others. We take care of ourselves more than we seek ways to serve God by serving others. In other words, we walk in disobedience to God and fail to please Him.

The lack or financial struggle some of us experience is a directly result of our unwillingness to serve God. Put it another way, (vs.10) the blessings of God are withheld from us because we focus on serving ourselves more than God who deserves to be glorified.

If you are facing financial challenges, I urge you to examine yourself. Consider your ways. Then have an attitude like the psalmist David and ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and cleanse you. Be willing to ask for forgiveness and turn from doing things the I-way to the God-way.

Consider these questions and let the Holy Spirit search your heart and heal you:

• Are you busy building your house, your life or your career while God’s business goes unattended?
• Do you care for the widow, father the orphan, feed the hungry, aid the sick, witness the love of God to others, or even help build or maintain the house of God?
• Are you so caught up with your life, finances or businesses that you forget to serve the Lord?
• What is it that is keeping you from God’s service but still not satisfying you?