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b'We often feel like we have to be a certain way or reach a certain goal\\nbecause that\\u2019s what will make the people around us respect us. I have\\nstruggled with this. I feel like I need to be at a certain point\\nfinancially, bringing in a certain amount of money, in order to not feel\\nashamed of my life and what I\\u2019ve accomplished.\\nThe Bible talks about how people admire the rich and those who are able to\\nsave up a lot of wealth. But God makes it clear that no one will be able to\\ntake anything with them in the end. Money is not going to do us any real\\ngood when we die.\\nMore important than money, Jesus reveals that God loves us unconditionally,\\nand through Jesus\\u2019s death and resurrection, we can be set free from every\\nkind of shame. If we\\u2019ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that God is\\nalready pleased with us, and we don\\u2019t need to accomplish anything to earn\\nHis acceptance.\\nSo, we don\\u2019t have to orient our lives around getting the respect of the\\npeople around us. Instead, we can orient our lives around following Jesus.\\nAs we make decisions in our lives, we don\\u2019t need to try to get rich.\\nInstead, we can look to God for guidance and wisdom in our finances. He\\ncalls us to rely on Him for all our needs as we seek to live according to\\nHis Word, and to store up treasures in heaven. Money and power are not\\ngoing to last, and we are not going to be able to take any cash we earn now\\nwith us when we die. But if we follow Jesus, our lives can bear fruit that\\nwill last (John 15:16; Galatians 5:22-23). \\u2022 Emily Acker\\n\\u2022 Have you ever felt pressure to live a certain way in order to earn\\nrespect from others?\\n\\u2022 Sometimes, we try to store up wealth to get people to accept us. Other\\ntimes, we try to get more money or possessions because we want to feel\\nsecure. God sees our needs for acceptance and security, and He has\\ncompassion on us. He wants us to rely on Him for all our needs, instead of\\nrelying on money. Do you tend to want money more for acceptance or for\\nsecurity?\\n\\u2022 What questions do you have about money? Who are trusted Christians you\\ncould talk to about these questions?\\n\\u201cBut store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do\\nnot destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.\\u201d Matthew 6:20\\n(NIV)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nPs.49.16-Ps.49.20|Matt.6.19-Matt.6.34'