What is the cost of having it all?

    Our Lord's great test is recorded in Luke 4:1-13. What is temptation?  One definition is "to entice to do wrong by promise of pleasure or gain."  To entice is ,"to attract artfully or by arousing hope or desire." These dynamics remind me of the way Jesus was promised all the power, glory and riches of earthly kingdoms if  he would worship Satan. This is a huge temptation. Who would not desire unlimited wealth and power?
      Satan promises immediate gratification of our desires, sensual pleasures with no responsibility, fast and easy money.  Is this what our society means when it talks about having it all?
Power, money and sensual pleasure are all good creations of our Heavenly Father. Human desires are given by God in His creation. If we put these desires above the moral commands of God then we get in trouble.
    Satan promises us all our physical and ego desires will be satisfied if we will only worship him.  Worship is, "extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem." In this regard some people worship the "Almighty Dollar".   Satanic rituals are not required to worship the Devil.  To be devoted to the Evil One is to practice deceit, admire his attitude of rebellion, and believe his promises.  Worldly people show in their behavior the belief they will gain more in life from Satan than from obeying the Lord.
    We worship Satan when we trust that he will reward us more than the Heavenly Father. Who has the most fun and satisfaction? Satan never created even one pleasure, all he does is distort and ruin our pleasures. Satan's big illusion is that success is delivered by following his practices. This means we will lie, cheat, steal, manipulate, con, threaten and defraud others to get what we want. It matters not who we hurt. Does the end justifies the means? Winning at all costs compromises our souls.
     Jesus refused by quoting Deut. 6:13, "You shall fear the Lord and serve him only." The context of this verse is to warn us about serving idols who will destroy us. We can forget the source of all our blessings is the Lord.  We can be blinded by our affluence and forget our Creator.  Jesus shows us that a humble devotion to our Heavenly Father is where true success and fulfillment as a person are found.
     Maybe Jesus was thinking of this time of tempting when he warns us, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Matthew 16:26.   Jesus took the road of obedient self sacrifice so that we could gain forgiveness of our sins and eternal life.  He gives us true wealth and abiding riches.