Thorns & Roses: Tolerance

In America we have a lot of freedoms. One freedom we have is the Freedom of Speech. However, we are losing this right under the guise that we are in fact gaining it. It is increasingly becoming common that we as Christians are not allowed to speak against people such as homosexuals or those who support abortion.

The freedom of speech is getting passed off, and we are told we just need tolerance. If we don't tolerate all these other practices that we don't believe as being holy as Children of God then we are either shut-up, fined, or discriminated against. In reality, we are having to tolerate such people or be punished because they won't tolerate us.

Tolerate

TOL'ERATE, v.t. [L. tolero, from tollo, to lift.] To suffer to be or to be done without prohibition or hinderance; to allow or permit negatively, by not preventing; not to restrain; as, to tolerate opinions or practices. (1)

A very dear friend and wise homeschooling mother of five wrote this on a public blog set up as "a brief commentary on government and home education in the news", which in the long run clashes with being a Godly parent and protector of the faith.

There's been a lot of talk of "tolerance" lately. I truly hate that word. I really do. Not because I want to go throw rocks at everyone I disagree with - I don't. But rather, I hate how misconstrued the word is.

If you believe that abortion is wrong, and use your voting power - campaigning for pro-life candidates etc., you are likely to be called "intolerant" because you're against a woman's right to choose. Of course, never mind that the right to life supersedes the right to well being. Anyhow ...

Is disagreeing and standing up for your beliefs really "intolerant?" What if those understandings I hold affect the way I vote? What if, regardless of my beliefs and understanding of how these things work, I am kind and loving to those I disagree with - because that is 1) how Christ taught me to be and 2) because I feel that love in my heart? Does that make me intolerant? Because I disagree and say so???

-Deb Turner (2)

A lot of Christians are becoming tolerant of "other" practices, which are all quite disturbing. Those who don't tolerate them in speech and thought are considered to be judgmental and unloving towards others. We're considered to be "trouble makers" because we can't just "live in peace and accept one another as they were made".

Jesus was not tolerant of sinful ways. He was not accepting of them, but that doesn't mean he didn't love the person and wouldn't forgive them if they asked. When the woman accused of adultery was brought to Jesus he didn't say "thou are a sinner but that's what you believe is right so go on your way". No, he didn't tolerate her sin, but he didn't condemn her either. He said "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more".

John 8:2-12
And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

I have seen worldly-Christians come up against what Mrs. Turner said above and call those who are not tolerate "holier-than-thou" because "they can accept others and live in peace". It's not right. We, as Children of God, must become a holy people again. We have strayed so far. We can no longer tolerate or accept sinful ways because "that's what people believe". Taking this stance of not tolerating sinful ways doesn't mean are condemning or will condemn those who do. Remember that without the blood of Jesus we would have the same fate as the adulteress and homosexuals. All of our sin is the same in Jesus eyes and we all need to learn to love, not tolerate, one another.

John 13:34
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

We need to learn how to love and teach, rather than tolerate and ignore. Jesus did not tolerate sin and to do so is sinful. The Bible forewarns of a peace and unity between all nations and religions. It is a peace that the Anti-Christ brings.

Daniel 11:21
And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

People are searching and wanting people to just tolerate and accept them "as they are". The Bible says that the Anti-Christ will obtain the kingdom through flatteries, and because the human flesh is so weak and susceptible to flatteries (such as being accepted as a homosexual) they will cling unto him. We need to be really well-versed in the Word and know what is Godly and acceptable because the End Times are coming, and Christians who don't tolerate other religions or join the world in "peace" will be outcasts.

Blessings to you as you Grow in the Grace of our Lord!



Sources: (1) 1828 Noah Webster Dictionary, (2) Deb Turner @ Home Where They Belong

Thorns & Roses: The View On A Father-Daughter Relationship

Are fathers necessary? What is the typical view on the father-daughter relationship?

The Bible does not speak a lot about daughters or their roles in the family, but it does speak about fathers. The Bible has many verses on instructing the father how to teach and train his children.

Deuteronomy 6:7
"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."(KJV)

Ephesians 6:4
“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”(KJV)

Now you ask "What does a father have to do with being a godly daughter?" Believe it or not the role the father plays in his children's life is huge. It has a major impact on them, both boys and girls, both in different ways.

Based on recent statistics, the right type of father is in high demand. In fact, loving, engaged and committed fathers are perhaps more important than ever before.

I went in search of what young ladies thought of their fathers and why a father's presence in so necessary. Sadly, all that came up was reports on the wrong kind of father-daughter relationship. Not only was it disturbing but so very sad to what the precious relationship has become.

So I searched deeper trying to find the answer to my questions, and in finding nothing at the moment, I decided to ask a friend, a mom, if she would describe her view on a father-daughter relationship when she was younger.

This was her reply:

"I had a really nice relationship with my father. I was sometimes disrespectful to him, and kind of allowed me to argue with him a lot. I was often scolded for correcting his grammar though. I was kind of a daddy's girl, but a lot of my friends did not feel the same way. A lot of my friends felt that their dads did not understand them or "get it". I remember several of my friends being amazed that my dad really took time to notice all the girly stuff that mattered to me or that I actually liked to talk to him.

I would stay up very late just to be with him and watch star trek and quincy on TV and twilight zone, and stuff that HE liked just to be with him. My friends thought that was odd."

That's just what I thought. The typical view on the father-daughter relationship is negative in the average girl's life. Does society encourage the father to play a major role in his daughter's lives? As I searched I found that no it doesn't, but why?

"I think people tend to be negative, and—I’m a feminist, but I’ll just say this flat out—I think we feminists are some of the worst when it comes to negativity. We start out with negative preconceptions about men as parents. We want to believe in the superiority of women as parents. Think about how you would feel, as a mother of daughters, if they turned to their father more than they turned to you for personal issues, or when they have problems with their girlfriends or their boyfriends. If they always went to him first and sometimes shut you out, that would hurt your feelings. And a large part of the reason it would hurt your feelings is that we have been told those are supposed to be mother-daughter things" (2)

"Even as this calamity unfolds, our cultural view of fatherhood, itself, is changing. Few people doubt the fundamental importance of mothers. But fathers? More and more, the question of whether fathers are really necessary is being raised. Many would answer no, or maybe not. And to the degree that fathers are still thought necessary, fatherhood is said by many to be merely a social role that others can play: mothers, partners, stepfathers, uncles and aunts, grandparents."Fathers aren't really being allowed to step-up to the plate and so they don't. Instead they let the mothers be the the main confidant in their daughters' lives, which is alright for the mother to be involved, but not when the father is almost completely out of the picture. (3)

Because of the above stated, fathers are missing out on being that special guy in their daughter's life until she marries, and because he's not there they go looking for that love and affection elsewhere. I found some opinions on what happens typically when the father, isn't gone, but absent in his daughter's life. Most gave the opinion that young ladies who have an active father in their lives are less likely to be promiscuous when they are in their teens and older.

"A Father who makes time to spend with his daughter helps build his daughter's self esteem. When a daughter feels love and support from their father they generally have good relationships with the opposite gender. If this nurturing experienced was missed by the girl, she will seek out the love of other males to replace this experience." (4)

"Having a father at home is no guarantee that a youngster won't commit a crime, but it appears to be an excellent form of prevention." (5)

"Girls with fathers are going to get a certain confidence that others without are going to find it harder to. You’ve got to remember that in this culture, most of the people girls see who have power and authority are men. So if they can get praise and recognition from the man in their family, it does, for them, carry a certain weight. If they don’t have that father in their family, they’re going to go looking for that praise and recognition elsewhere. Those girls, as they enter their teenage years, are more likely to be desperate for male approval, constantly thinking about the next boyfriend, or what do the boys think about me, or how do I get the boys’ attention. But once they get one—boyfriend, fiancé, husband—they’re constantly worried about him leaving. And so they become suspicious, overly dependent; they make their boyfriend or husband nuts by clinging to him. Nobody wants someone hanging on them all the time, like a child. There is some fascinating research out there about the advantages fathers give their daughters." (6)

Why do people think that girls don't need fathers? The simple answer is that people think boys need fathers so that they have a reliable role model. In the eyes of some people girls don't need to learn anything from a father. However, there is plenty a girl can learn and needs to learn from a father. Not just in terms of a male role model but in terms of love, commitment and faithfulness.

"My four daughters have grown into strong, independent women because of their dad's unwavering love and support. Over the years he's taught them many life lessons, including: let your work speak for you, look at the big picture..." (1)

Like I said before the Bible speaks so clearly on the role of the Father. He is necessary at all times in his daughter's life until he hands her off to another man in marriage. A girl should always have the love and affection of a man. When she's younger, her father, and when she becomes a woman, her husband. That is how God designed it and that's why men's roles are so vital, whether society says so or not.

The Bible says that in the End Days, when Elijah returns before Christ that the hearts of the fathers shall be turned to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers (Malachi 4:5-6). Perhaps we are the generation that will be turned to the hearts of our fathers. I found an article entitled "Top Ten Ways to Stay Close to Your Daughter As She Grows Up" that fathers and daughters might want to read over.

Girls, cherish the relationship you have with your father. Don't think ill of him or that he doesn't understand you. Look at the idea the world has put on him and refute it by being a daughter who does need her father and who does want him to be the only guy in her life until she marries.

Proverbs 4:1
"Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding."(KJV)

You should always being praying that the Lord would give you a meek and humble spirit, and you should always be praying for your parents. They have a big job in this life, raising children for the Lord, and your father especially because he is the leader of the family.

If you're a mom or a woman, what was your view on the Father-Daughter Relationship when you were younger?

If you're a young lady, what is yours and what do you cherish most about your relationship with your father?

Blessings to you as you Grow in the Grace of our Lord!

Sources: (1) Two Cents. (2)(6) The Lost Relationship: Fathers and Daughters. (3) (5) Life Without Fathers. (4) Girls With Out A Father.

Thorns n Roses: Biblical Womanhood

What is Biblical Womanhood? As I start thinking of what I would write for the May issue of Thorns & Roses, which purpose is to expose the lies the world tells us, I wanted to write something about Mothers. I wanted to expose all the lies the world tells us about motherhood, but the article really wouldn't be about motherhood nor wifehood. I came to the conclusion after much thought that the term Biblical Womanhood was what I was looking for.

The reason being because when we as young ladies , soon to be women, fulfill Biblical Womahood we are not only women, but wives, mothers, and elderly women in the church. When you do what the Lord has instructed women to do, you will then be a Biblical Woman.

Mothers play a big role in a lot of peoples' lives. Whether it's a biological mother or some who acts as a mother or someone who is like a second mother to you, we all have one. There are a lot of types of Mothers. God designed the family where the Man leads and disciplines and the Mother cares and loves. He gave us Mothers. He put a special place in us that Mothers are to fill. When we don't have a mother or a motherly-figure in our lives, we feel empty.

A few years ago I heard a girl about fourteen or fifteen years of age say, that to marry and live your life as a Biblical Woman was to put yourself at everyone's feet and be a doormat, especially to the husband. My heart ached for this girl because she had been raised to view the role of a woman, as intended by God, as a disgrace and insult to oneself.

I hold this whole topic very near and dear to my heart, and I have been writing and speaking out against this lie for over two years in the public's eye. In doing so I have received many strong, disagreeing replies and emails about it. It is so foreign to so many that I, a lot of times, sound like some brain-washed Christian. Before I go on, I want to let you know, whether you agree with me or not, that I am not brain-washed and I know that women can do anything. That is not the subject in question.

The purpose of which woman was made was to be a help meet for a man. This is very clearly stated in Genesis 2:17-23, but it certainly doesn't mean you must lay down and be walked all over. According to the Bible, men and women are absolutely spiritually equal in God’s sight. We are both sinful, and we both need God’s grace to be forgiven. However, the Bible portrays clear and distinct roles for men and women. Men are to be leaders, and women are to be followers. That doesn't mean women are to be doormats or subjectable to all men. Young ladies are to be under the authority of her parents until she marries (Genesis 2:24) and wives are to be under the authority of their husbands (1 Peter 3:1). A wife is simply commanded to submit to her husband. Submission doesn't mean you're weak; it's an example of your love and devotion.

The world tells you that to be a full-time Mother you have to give up so much for yourself. You have to give up having your own career, money, and other luxuries, but is that so? Yes, when you are a full-time Mother you do give up having all those things, maybe going without, but the Bible says not to lay up for yourself treasures on earth. Instead lay up for yourself treasures in heaven as Jesus says in Matthew 6:18-20. Because we live in a pagan world they don't understand that, and half of them don't even believe in heaven or trust in the promises Jesus made to us, which is why we can't listen to them.

Fulfilling the role of a Biblical Woman is such a beautiful thing, and it just saddens me to see what the whole idea of it has become to many. They view it as a bondage, when in fact it is a blessing. As Christians we are to always follow what the Word says, and in Titus 2:3-5 God gives instruction of how to be Biblical Women as well as in Proverbs 31:10-31.

Biblical Womanhood is a perfect picture of what Christ and the Church is. Jesus was under the authority of God the Father. He did not do his own will, but deferred to The Heavenly Father, even unto Christ's own death on the cross. Families are the same. We as women have an authority, our husband, who we are to defer to and respect. Was Jesus any less worthy than God the Father? No, of course not. Is a woman less valuable than her husband? No. We have different roles and responsibilities before the Lord.

2 Corinthians 4:5 says that "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake."

In everything we do as Christians, and a Biblical Women, it must not be for ourselves, but for Christ, because He laid everything down for us. Don't listen to the lies of this world. The world and all it's treasure shall pass away, but the treasures we store up.... Godly traits, being obedient to our parents/husbands, training our children.... shall never pass away and will await us as a golden crown when we come to Jesus in the Last Days. If we do all this Jesus will be able to say "Well done, good and faithful servant"!

I pray that you will embrace your role as a young woman and that God will bring you a loving and gentle leader to be your husband one day. True freedom comes in obedience to the Word of God.

I look forward to your replies on this article!
Blessings to you as you Grow in the Grace of our Lord!

Thorns & Roses: Glovey Mud?

For our Bible-class in school we use Polished Cornerstones by Pam Forster, which has a great many assignments for becoming a Godly young lady with Godly-traits. One assignment I found was of particular interest as the assignment said, "Think of women you know who exhibit each of the traits listed in 1 Timothy 5:3-10 and Titus 2:3-6. Learn from their lives as you observe them, and take opportunities to get to know them better".

I once wrote an article on being socialized or un-socialized. I pointed out the that many kids who spend their time hanging out with their friends, doing nothing of importance are less intelligent than kids who spend time in the company of wise and intelligent adults and youth. Being homeschooled has allowed my siblings and me a great advantage of being in the company of adults, learning their traits, rather than my peers. People are sorely lacking on socialized skills in today’s culture. Children are allowed to waste their time away while not in school. They have so many gadgets now that all they have to do is sit around and push a few buttons. They don’t have to use their intelligence or brains too often.

When I had posted the article I received many replies, pointing out that it's not necessarily about being socialized as much as it's about to whom you are socializing with. I agree most definitely. One commenter replied and said, “I think that a lot of kids are more socialized than homeschoolers, but it's a negative socialization. Much of our culture is simply rude, vulgar, and totally self-seeking. Why would we want to become socialized into that kind of society? We want a respectable socialization (even if there is less of it) - polite, honorable, and Christ-centered. “

Another commenter said, “There is bad socializing and good socializing. I am kept home because my parents want me to have good socializing. People often misconstrue this as parents wanting to control their children. I disagree. As I've observed in my short lifetime, many homeschooling parents keep their children home to train them in the teachings of the Bible. They keep them home, away from the world, to socialize them with people of good and godly traits. They do not want them to act like the ornery children who live across the street, so they don't send them to the same school; they keep them home. It is not a big surprise that more often than not homeschool children are more polite and engage in suitable conversations. Most have been socialized with people of good quality. When children that aren’t often pick up dreadful habits and horrible social skills.”

Why do a lot of today’s younger generation have bad social skills? I think I can safely say that it is because they are left to their own decisions on how spend their time, they develop bad socialize skills from each other. Not all bad social skills are simply ones like wasting your time doing brainless activities or not knowing how to make an intelligent conversation. No, they are others like watching too much tv or playing on the computer instead of spending time in the Word. As young ladies striving to be like Christ. We ourselves must be careful whom we socialize with, on the internet and in real life.

Let me use an illustration a dear friend once told me so you can get a clear picture. Let’s say the world and the badly socialized people are muddy, and let’s say we as Biblical young ladies are like a white, pure, clean glove. If we spend all our time with people who are muddy are we as gloves going to be muddy or make them glovey? More than not we will be more influenced by the muddy people than we will make them glovey.

This, of course, doesn't mean we shouldn't be friendly or witness to those who are socialized badly, because I definitely don’t believe that. However, we must make sure we aren't picking up their bad or sinful social skills. We must be held accountable for the time we spend with others and what we are doing. After my sister spent some time with some of those badly "socialized" kids, she started saying "like" in every sentence and having a worldly attitude towards the authority in her life. My parents had to pull her back to the Word and away from the World. They had to wash all the mud that had stained her as a pure, white glove of the Lord.

The assignment from Polished Cornerstone tells young ladies to spend time with Godly women, per se, the Bible references... its basis is to socialize girls with the people with whom they should model to be like. We are to study these women’s good traits and to become a more pure, more white, and more clean glove.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:33, "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners." This verse is clear on whom we should socialize ourselves with, both for our spirits and our lives. Our parents have been put in charge of us to keep us from "evil communications" so they do not "corrupt good manners". Always be listening to the Godly authority placed over your life and be careful how and with whom you spend your time.


Blessings to you as you Grow in the Grace of our Lord!

Isaiah 64:4

Your Sister, Your Best Friend

One of my favourite books is Little Women. I absolutely love the camaraderie the March sisters have, not with their friends, but with each other as friends. No doubt Jo and Amy do butt head sometimes, but when it comes down to it they love each other. They stick by each other, and they can all count on each other to be there when they need one another. You don't find this sisterly-love too often today. We've lost the precious camaraderie of the March sisters in our culture. The relationship between siblings is strained, and if not, it is looked down upon as not being properly socialized with others. The world says you can't be best friends with your sister because it's just weird. They make you think you need to look elsewhere for friends and go out and do things with them.




Society also tells you can't possibly be happy staying home and doing something with your family. You must get out and have some fun. This is a falsehood, and the reason the world will tell you this is because the world is not of the family-mindset. Because many, even Christians, don't have the Bible's view of the family. They think everyone needs to be doing their own thing for many reasons. This problem also exists within the Church. The family is divided as the church seeks to reach each and every one's "personal needs". This is why we end up with families who are divided and do not view each other as their friends. To correct this division of the family we really need to go back the Bible and start viewing the family as a whole. We don't need to be divided and have our own class, our own friends or own activities. We need each other.


A few years ago when we were attending a church my sister participated in the youth group where she met and made friends with whom she spent a lot of time. She did a lot of activities with them on Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Wednesday evening, during the week if the youth group had an extra activity. Or she would spend time with her closer friends on the phone or spend time at their houses. She and I weren't the best of friends because we didn't "need" each other. She had her friends, and I had mine. Besides, I didn't take interest in the things her friends did as worldly teenagers, and so I wasn't really accepted. As the years passed things happened to my sister which drew her back home, not only because my mom realized that her place wasn't with all the other worldly teenagers, but also because those friends with whom she spent so much time, love, and trust into abandoned her. When it all came down to it she had her family. She had her parents, her sisters, and her brothers of whom would always be there for her, and never abandon her.




Because my parents had been raised in the mindset of being away from the home and from the family, the children also had that view. It was a hard struggle for all of us to realize we didn't have to attend all the church activities or spend all of our time away from each other with our own friends. We have come a long way from being there. That place where if we didn't have friends or something to do we were simply bored. My sister and I have become best friends, and, though we still fight like Jo and Amy, we can count on each other to be there. My Mother has a rule now that if we can't get along with each other we don't email, write, or talk to our other friends. Mother wants us to realizes that you can't replace your sister with others and won't allow us too.


Even after all of this I had two friends, sisters, who I met online that I became friends with. They are very sweet and intelligent girls whom I adore, but I forgot something. I forgot that they weren't my best friend. They weren't supposed to be the people of whom I shared my thoughts with, but I made them, and because I did, my relationship with my sister was strained. I held my friends' opinions in higher regard than I did my own sister's, and it made her feel of less worth to me than my friends, and it was wrong. You may not know it and your sisters/siblings may not show it, but it doesn't feel good when your sister/siblings find other best friends. I know from experience.




I have had some of my Mother's friends tell me that they wished they had been so fortunate as to have a good relationship with their sister or siblings. The sad thing is that they probably could have, but they weren't raised in the mindset where it is the norm for sisters to be best friends. Because of being raised that way even now they aren't best friends with their siblings because most still don't have the same interests or beliefs. A lot of families and relationships have been put in jeopardy and ruin because it is odd for families to be friends.


Girls, your sisters are your best friends. Make them so, whether they are older or younger than you. Whether you share the same interests or not. The Lord gave us these sisters to grow up besides, to teach, to listen, to love, and to cherish. Don't look for friends outside of your family. Make your family your friends. Make your sisters your best friends.


This doesn't mean you can't have friends other than your sisters, but don't put your friends first. And, if you don't have any sisters, make your mom your best friend, as she should be whether you have a sister or not. I know plenty of girls who don't have any sisters but they do have a mother or a cousin of whom they find love, friendship, and camaraderie in. Don't replace what should be your sisters as your best friends with others. While your friends may abandoned you because they simply can, your sisters will always be your sisters. Build a good relationship with them. Make your sister your best friend.

Thorns and Roses "If I just had the money."

Don't we often all find ourselves saying "if only I had the money then..."? I know I do. Not even wishing I had money to spend on myself, but others. The idea that money equals happiness is a lie the world will tell you. Far too much merit is put into money and what it can give you.

The world will tell you that if you have money or material items you will be happy. That you'll never be in want and you'll have an easy life, but is that really the truth? No, it is a lie. We as Christians should know and apply what Jesus said in Matthew 6: 19-21. He spoke very clearly on treasures on earth and treasures in heaven, and the things of this world will pass away.

Matthew 6:19-21

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (KJV)

In this world we have one purpose and that is to bring glory to God's kingdom. We should not be worried about what we have in this life. We should be content with what He gives us in this life, and not lay up treasures here on earth. We must be careful not to let money or anything materialistic become a focus or a worry to us or a source of discontentment.

The Bible says in

Matthew 6: 24, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (KJV)

The Lord has been faithful to His people throughout the ages of this world. He has always taken care of them, and He always will. If we are in need of something do not rely on money, but rely on the Lord. Pray and ask him humbly what you need. Do not be deceived into thinking that money equals happiness. It does not. It may give you pleasure for a short while, but what is that compared to eternity?

Matthew 6: 32-33, "(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. "
(KJV)

Our reward and treasures will be in heaven and they will be far greater than anything we will ever have here. Seek Ye first the Kingdom of God, not the things of this world for they shall pass away.