Reflection 37: When Good Things Lead Us Astray

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Money changes people” or “Power changes people”? I think most of us hear that and immediately think, That would never be me. Not a chance.

And yet… it’s hard when you start to see it happen to people close to you. People you never thought would change. What’s even harder is that most of the time, they don’t even realize it. And honestly, I think that’s part of how the devil works.

He doesn’t come in and flip your life upside down overnight. He doesn’t usually lead you completely against your morals all at once — that would be too obvious. Instead, he takes something good and just slightly shifts it.

I always picture it like two lines starting at the same point but are slightly at different angles. At first, the angle between them is tiny — almost unnoticeable. But as time goes on, those lines drift further and further apart. One line is God’s will, and the other is where temptation quietly leads you.

At the beginning, it doesn’t feel wrong. It feels small. Harmless. Like you’re just bending things a little. But if you keep walking that direction, one day you look back and realize how far you’ve drifted.

The good news is you can always turn back. God will always meet you where you are, but you still have to choose to turn around. You still have to take the steps. Because temptation is sneaky like that. It doesn’t destroy something outright — it just twists something good enough to lead you away.

And one of the biggest places I see this happen is with money and power.

I think about the story of David and Goliath — and I’m not even going to lie, half the time I picture it like the VeggieTales version because my son is obsessed. So in my head, it’s little veggie David walking out there, probably being told by his brothers to go take care of sheep or something goofy, and then he’s out here facing this giant with basically a rock and a slingshot. No business winning that battle… except he does.

Why? Because of his faith in God.

He starts small. Humble. Faithful. Trusting. But then later in his life, he becomes powerful. And this is where my brain goes straight to the VeggieTales “rubber ducky” episode. If you know, you know. He sees something he wants and suddenly it’s, “I want that rubber ducky.” And instead of staying rooted, he starts making choices that serve himself.

Now obviously that’s the kid version of a much heavier story, but the point still stands. Even someone chosen by God can drift when pride, power, and desire take over.

And that’s the part that hits me, because I see it happen in real life.

People start with humble beginnings. They work hard. They rely on God. They’re grateful. And then something shifts. It becomes, “Oh, I can just buy that.” “It’s not a big deal.” “I deserve this.” And little by little, that humility fades.

It turns into careless spending. Into never blinking at things that once mattered. Into seeing money as endless… and people as less important.

I’ve seen it in the smallest moments that actually say the most, like how someone treats a waiter or waitress. Not saying thank you. Getting frustrated over something that isn’t even their fault. Acting like because money is involved, they deserve perfection and immediate attention.

That entitlement doesn’t show up overnight. It creeps in. And suddenly, it’s not just about money anymore — it’s about how you see people. Are they still equals, or are they just there to serve you?

If having more money makes you treat people worse, it didn’t just change your situation — it revealed your heart.

And if you are not actively guarding your heart, you will drift. Not all at once. Not in some dramatic, obvious way. But slowly, quietly, comfortably… until one day you are standing so far from who God called you to be and you didn’t even notice when it happened.

So I think the real question is not, “Would money or power change me?”

Am I paying enough attention to notice if it already is?

Because you are never above another person. No amount of money will ever make you more worthy. No amount of power will ever make you more important in the eyes of God.

And if you forget that — if you start believing you deserve more, better, faster, above others — you are already drifting.

So check your heart. Be honest.

Because the scariest part isn’t that money or power can change you… it’s that it can, and you might not even realize it.