Galatians 2: 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Paul figured it out. If we are hoping to live a life pleasing to God in our own strength, it is never going to happen. Christ lived out the life God wanted him to live and Calvary was always in view. That is why he came. By the time the end of his earthly life approached, his will had merged with his Father’s on his knees in Gethsemane. Every man, woman, boy or girl who the Father draws into relationship with Christ is on a journey with God. The path is obedience, submission, then transformation and then great blessing – peace with God.

“You mean to say there is no bonanza like great riches and influence right now?”  Perhaps! Beginning with Abraham, the Bible gives us many examples of men of substance and power, women too. God uses the wealthy and prominent as often as he does anyone else. Very often it is such people who can change the course of history, spread the gospel on a large scale, or lead great programs to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and shelter the dispossessed.

Is riches and influence what you want out of your relationship with God? Then talk to God about it. Can you be trusted with great riches in the earth? What have you done with what you have had so far?  God is not miserly and he works miracles. He is the fountain of wisdom and knowledge. He can release creativity in your life beyond your wildest dreams. Bear in mind, however, that crucifixion entails the negation of self-centered ambitions. Better to seek the path God desires for you since whatever you gain in this life is temporary and will never equal or surpass the beauty and joy of being totally his.