Where Is Your Trust?

          “Older adults who lose their life savings may also lose years from their life, a new study suggests.  Looking at more than 8,700 Americans older than 50, researchers found that those who lost most of their net worth were more likely to die over the next 20 years.  Compared with people who held onto their wealth, those who lost at least 75 percent of it over two years were 50 percent more likely to die over the next two decades.  One of the most striking findings, researchers said, was how often families suffered that kind of financial loss.  More than one-quarter of study participants lost most of their wealth at some point over the 20-year study. Another 7 percent had no savings or other assets to begin with.  "If this has happened to you, you're not alone," said lead researcher Lindsay Pool, a research assistant professor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.  Why is wealth loss related to an earlier death? The study cannot answer that question, Pool said. But, she noted, the stress of losing your financial security -- especially later in life -- could take a toll on physical health.”*
          There is a danger in putting our trust in anything other than God -- whether it is wealth or any other material thing.  Long before the days of 401K’s, IRA’s, and mutual funds, Jesus warned his disciples about storing up treasures on earth -- not because doing so was inherently sinful, but because such investments can be fleeting (Matthew 6:19-20).  Paul reminded his young friend Timothy that true godliness is linked to contentment because everyone enters the world the same way they leave it -- penniless.  If our trust and focus is on riches, we are setting ourselves up for all kinds of trouble (1 Timothy 6:6-10).  True freedom from the problems associated with an over-emphasis on wealth is found in a close relationship with the One who will never abandon us (Hebrews 13:5).  Remember: “Money is a great servant but a bad master” (Francis Bacon).

God loves you!
Mike

*https://consumer.healthday.com/mental-health-information-25/anxiety-news-33/when-nest-egg-vanishes-death-risk-rises-732592.html