DAY #23: December 28, 2010

So what is it that turns a person toxic? How does a healthy person become an unhealthy person? How does a normal person become somebody who’s damaging others around them? How does someone become a Pharisee? Three causes of toxic religion…

#1. The number one cause of toxicity is envy.

Envy and jealousy will rob your soul of joy. Envy and jealousy is like taking cancer in your heart. When you see somebody – a friend or a family member, a relative or somebody – and all of a sudden they’re succeeding and you’re not and you get envious, you’re being set up to become toxic. You just need to be aware of it.

The moment you allow envy into your heart, toxicity has been planted. When somebody all of a sudden makes a whole lot of money and you didn’t, are you going to get envious? You’re going to get toxic. When somebody gets promoted at work and you get envious, you’re going to get toxic. When somebody gets married and you want to be married and you didn’t get married, you’re going to get toxic if you don’t watch out. When somebody has a baby and you’ve been longing for a baby and you start getting jealous and envious, you’re going to get toxic.

Do you know what put Jesus Christ on the cross? You know why they killed Him? He hadn’t done anything wrong. He was perfect. Jesus never hurt anybody. So why did they kill the only perfect person who ever lived? Envy. Matthew 27:18 (LB) says, “It was out of envy that they handed Jesus over to Pilate.” The Pharisees, the toxic religious people, could not stand the popularity of Jesus. The resented it. Envy is toxic.

#2. The second thing that causes people to go toxic is money.

Money, really the love of money, has made more people toxic than almost anything. I have seen money destroy relationships. I have seen money destroy marriages. I’ve seen money destroy kids, families, friendships.

Folks, Jesus was a very generous person. “God so loved the world that He gave.” The Pharisees could not stand the fact that Jesus had no interest in money. Jesus said, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses.” What did the Pharisees do with that? Luke 16:14 says, “When the Pharisees heard this they made fun of Jesus [They ridiculed Him] because they loved money.”

You are to love people and you are to use money. Money is a tool. You never love money. You love people, you use money. If you start loving money you’re going to use people. You’re going to use people to get money, if you love money. Money becomes toxic. You’ve heard me say this before. Your value has nothing to do with your valuables. Your net worth has nothing to do with your self-worth. The greatest things in life aren’t things. You make a living by what you get. But you make a life by what you give. It is only in giving your life away that you learn to truly live.

Ponder these things today! i love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!