I was talking to an elder gentleman about the Bible.  We were going over things in Matthew chapter 6.  I was making another point to him but came up with a question from reading this:

Matthew 6:19-21

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The question I pondered was why do Christians have bank accounts?  Is this not what Jesus told them not to do?  Are they not storing their treasures?  Especially considering this verse is followed by the infamous Lord’s prayer which asks God to “give us THIS DAY our daily bread.”

So if you continue to read this chapter you will see this:

Matthew 6:25-34

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? ²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I realized that Christians should be the happiest, carefree, giving, loving people on the planet.  Then I realized that like 99% of Christians don’t believe these verses.  If they did, they wouldn’t plan for the future.

There would be no 401K, no pension, no retirement savings because their ultimate retirement savings would be with God in heaven, not with a man on earth!  They would seek first the kingdom of God and all His righteousness.  They wouldn’t worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Are you a Christian?  Do you live by these verses?  Do you think your heavenly Father will feed you like he feeds the birds?  Or do you make excuses as to why your riches are stored in the bank?  Or why you are preparing for your retirement?  What is the point of all that I am saying?

The point is that no one follows these teaching, except maybe bums!  It is another of the many contradicting facets of religious doctrines that many will ignore and still think they are righteous.

Many will read what I have written and quoted from the very book they say their life is based and ignore each word.  There will be no attempt to either follow these words to the letter or realize that this doctrine is virtually impossible to follow.  But to each his own.  If you are comfortable in your hypocrisy, so be it!