Luke 12:29-34
“What I’m trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don’t be afraid of missing out. You’re my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself.
“Be generous. Give to the poor. Get yourselves a bank that can’t go bankrupt, a bank in heaven far from bankrobbers, safe from embezzlers, a bank you can bank on. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
When we were children, people would often ask us, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” My friend Martha would always reply, “I’m going to be an entrepreneur.” None of us really knew what that was at the time – except Martha, maybe! – but it surely sounded impressive. I had no clue then that someday, Greg and I would be “entrepreneurs” and build our own business…or where God would take us in the process!
I can tell you firsthand that it is easy to become preoccupied with the inner workings of your own business…to concentrate on making that next dollar so that you can pay the bills and expand your operations. But relationships with people lie at the very core of pretty much every business you can imagine…customers, employees, suppliers, and auxiliary staff. Our own business relied on daily interaction with all of these groups, and a breakdown in communication at any point could create a ripple effect of major proportions.
One of the things that Greg and I determined from the outcome was that we were not “in this” to become wealthy. Our business was about serving people…specifically, helping people who lived in recreational vehicles (RVs) find opportunities for work as they traveled. It was strange at first to meet people who would say, “You changed our lives”…but as we cultivated our business and its relationships over eighteen years, we realized that this was truly the case for thousands of folks. There were retirees who wondered “What’s next?”…young families who wanted to take their children on the road and give them a “hands-on” education but didn’t know how they could afford it…and every demographic in between.
We also supplied employers of all kinds with a mature, reliable, diverse workforce. We literally spent every day for 18 years putting people together…generally in a positive way. And in doing so, we were never hungry…our bills were always paid…and we always had enough. I don’t tell you this to “toot my own horn”…but to make a point related to this scripture passage. Here goes…
If your goal in life is to make millions and “be rich and famous,” you have not studied Jesus’ words in Luke 12. If you are so preoccupied with your own life and “getting”…getting ahead…getting a new house, car, boat, piece of jewelry, or whatever personal “stuff” you wish to acquire…getting recognition and accolades for your “success”…or whatever you have established as your goal to “get”…you cannot possibly be paying enough attention to God’s giving. If you have made it all about you (even if you say that you haven’t) and are wholly focused on achieving that next rung on the ladder…you are probably missing out on the biggest rewards of all. I would suspect that your mental and physical health are both suffering…and you are probably not where you would like to be in your personal relationship with God – or with others!
This is all fixable…and it can begin today! Look around at those in your midst who are most contented and fulfilled. Notice I didn’t say “successful”, because most people only think in monetary terms when we use this word. Look for people who don’t seem stressed…who seem to always be doing something for someone else…whose every conversation is not about money – how to get it, spend it, or how hard it is to pay the bills. Look for the person who is more concerned with meeting the needs of others than driving the newest car or “movin’ on up to that deluxe apartment in the sky”.
Look for people who are more concerned with serving others in their profession than how much money they are making. There are more than a few people in this world who make life more comfortable for you and me every single day and are grossly underpaid for doing so. Yet they find satisfaction and joy in their work, because they don’t focus solely on money and acquisitions. These people have most likely learned to store their treasure in heaven rather than on this earth. They have learned to bless others in order to be blessed. They understand that “God-provisions” trump earthly possessions and accolades any day of the week. And they are grateful for what He has given and where He is taking them. They know that their future includes the “keys to the Kingdom”…and they are focused on getting there… in God’s style!
We can all enjoy this same “success”. God desperately wants us all to be on this path…to be His “entrepreneur’s”…not the world’s. I am so grateful for God’s stewardship and blessings. I am forever indebted to Him for giving us Jesus...for guiding our steps as we built a business that focuses on helping others. I am thankful that every day, God shows me ways to serve Him by serving others…and I hope I am sufficiently faithful and obedient in my efforts on His behalf.
What about you? Where is your focus? What sort of “entrepreneur” are you…and where are you storing your treasure? Have you recognized God’s tremendous blessings in your life…and are you genuinely grateful. Will this be the day that you begin to shift your attention to the things that are important to Him…and reap His rewards in the bargain? Don’t you think it should be?
©2014 Debbie Robus
James 5:1-6
You rich people should cry and weep! Terrible things are going to happen to you. Your treasures have already rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your money has rusted, and the rust will be evidence against you, as it burns your body like fire. Yet you keep on storing up wealth in these last days. You refused to pay the people who worked in your fields, and now their unpaid wages are shouting out against you. The Lord All-Powerful has surely heard the cries of the workers who harvested your crops.
While here on earth, you have thought only of filling your own stomachs and having a good time. But now you are like fat cattle on their way to be butchered. You have condemned and murdered innocent people, who couldn’t even fight back.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Recently, I read an article in the newspaper about 87-year-old Dr. Russell Dohner, who practices medicine in Rushville, Illinois. Dr. Dohner charges $5 per visit, regardless of who you are or how much money you have. If you can’t afford to pay $5, he treats you anyway. A “stash” is kept in the drawer – supplemented by the doctor and his staff – to cover these “non-payments.” Click here to read the entire article.
In my opinion, Dr. Dohner understands fully what James is telling us in this passage. His focus was not on becoming rich. He didn’t think about filling his own stomach. He was motivated by the people he served… and he did not discriminate. As a result, all of his needs have been steadily met. His life has not been free of challenges. His marriage failed… he never had a family of his own. But he has had an entire community that embraces him and sees that he is well loved. People invite him to dinner, mow his yard, help with repairs and upkeep around his house, and more.
Dr. Dohner says he never entered the field of medicine to get rich… he only wanted to help others. He knows that without his clinic, many would not get the health care they require. The doctor has a family farm and some investments that provide income to help pay his expenses. But in my book, he is immeasurably rich… and in the best way possible.
My point in sharing this story is that James may have literally meant this passage for the rich, but I believe God is speaking a reminder to us in these words to keep our motives in check. God wants us to have goals and aspirations… He does not object to any of us succeeding – or even becoming rich. But our success… our possessions, our accomplishments – our “stuff” – is not what should define our lives. If we do not focus on serving God by serving others – with everything we have - all of our acquisitions are worthless… rotten, moth-eaten, rusted, and filled with the potential to do great harm to us – and to others.
Regardless of your age or station in life, stop and examine where you are headed… and what you are doing with what you have. Are you hogging every penny and stuffing yourself silly while others around you go hungry and homeless? Are you treating others – even a single person – as if they are beneath you? Do you operate in all things with fairness, kindness, generosity and love? Do you think of others… or is it all about you and those you deem important in your circle?
Few among us will leave a legacy akin to that of Dr. Russell Dohner… and that’s okay. But God expects us to do our best with His blessings… and nothing less. He calls us to treat others fairly… and to be good stewards of all He has given us. How well are you handling what He gives you? What sort of wealth are you building?
©2012 Debbie Robus
James 1:9-11
Any of God’s people who are poor should be glad that he thinks so highly of them. But any who are rich should be glad when God makes them humble. Rich people will disappear like wild flowers scorched by the burning heat of the sun. The flowers lose their blossoms, and their beauty is destroyed. That is how the rich will disappear, as they go about their business.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
You can learn a lot from a three-year-old boy. He could generally care less whether he has on a fancy shirt or a plain shirt – or no shirt at all. He is more amused as much by a rolled up sock being tossed above his head in a game of “keep-away” as he is by an expensive electronic gadget. He prefers a bowl of Cheerios®, dried fruit and chocolate chips to something more “gourmet”… and “swimming” in a bathtub filled with plastic toys is just as fun as going to play in an actual pool.
I know that this will change. In a couple of years, these things will not be as satisfying. We teach our children to consume… and to want more… to desire to be wealthy and famous and aspire to drive fancy cars and live in big houses. All three-year-old boys want is to play and be loved… for someone to pay attention to them. And all we should desire of God is HIS love and attention.
Recently, I accompanied my husband on his daily walk down a nearby trail. In one particular stretch, we wound down a hill into a ravine. This has become one of my favorite places in any season. But this time of year, it is incredibly shady and peaceful. As we passed under the crown-canopy of this tranquil forest, I thought, “If Heaven is anything like this, I’ll be a happy camper. This is quite enough!”
I know the Bible promises that when we get to heaven, we will have a mansion. I believe that the streets are paved with gold and the opulence is more than we can imagine. And I guess all of that will be nice… I mean, I’m certainly not going to turn it down – are you?! But what I really want is to be in the physical presence of Jesus… to sit at His feet and feel His arms wrapped around me… to snuggle into His chest and truly rest there in His love.
The point of this passage is that being rich is not the goal. Wealth and possessions don’t matter. As Christians, we need to become like three-year-old boys… content with the love and attention of our Heavenly Father and unimpressed by frills and distractions. We need to focus on what is truly important. And more often than not, riches and “stuff” get in the way of this.
Regardless of what you have… your current position in life… your aspirations for more… make the central focus of your life your relationship with God. The only way to truly be content – rich or poor – is to operate in the confidence that you are pleasing God in everything. Allow Him to show you what is truly important. Learn to find joy in serving Him well with all that you have. Recognize the blessings of God’s “shady ravine” …and if He gives you more than this, consider it a bonus!
©2012 Debbie Robus
Matthew 6:19-21
Don't store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them. Your heart will always be where your treasure is.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
After my husband and I both graduated from college, we moved back to Heber Springs and worked for one year. The following year, we got an opportunity to return to Russellville, Arkansas, where we had attended college. I applied for a teaching job and received a call for an interview. I wore the only decent dress I had… made by my mother from green polka dot jersey knit. About two weeks later, I was called back for a second interview. I didn’t have another dress to wear… or time to shop for one. Clothing stores were not exactly on every corner of Heber Springs in 1977 – and there were no malls in nearby towns. So I had no choice but to wear the same dress to the second interview.
After all of the questions had been asked and I stood to leave, the school superintendent asked, “Isn’t that is the same dress you wore to the first interview?” Embarrassed that he remembered, I replied, “Yes, sir, it is.” “It looks very nice,” he replied with a smile. Pleasantly surprised – and relieved – I thanked him and hurried from the building. I got the job… and the superintendent, became a friend and mentor over the next eight years.
I don’t know if my superintendent realized that I could only afford one decent dress… or wearing the same dress to both interviews made me more memorable to him and the rest of the interview panel. But I like to think that I was judged on my merits and my resume… and not on whether or not I had a closet full of beautiful clothes. I learned two things from this experience: 1) I probably needed at least one more dress in my wardrobe, and 2) substance trumps surplus.
One school year, I conducted an experiment. I created enough “uniforms” for two consecutive weeks. One week, I mixed and matched a pair of pants, a skirt, a sweater and a blouse to create five outfits for work. The next week, I did the same thing with about a half dozen clothing items in a different color scheme. Nobody ever mentioned that I was wearing the same clothes over and again. Nobody complained about my teaching ability. I had less laundry and more time. I didn’t have to spend as much time thinking about what I was going to wear. I had confidence that I was neatly clothed, and I was free to concentrate on my students, my work, and my personal life.
I will admit… after several weeks, I got tired of wearing the same things over and over… I’m not a big fan of uniforms for the long haul! But how many of us have closets filled with clothes - and we open the doors and say, “I have nothing to wear.” By and large, we have become mass consumers who are largely insatiable. We constantly need more STUFF!
There is nothing wrong with having nice clothes – or the latest gadget or gizmo. Living in abundance is neither a sin nor a crime. But when STUFF becomes our focus… this is a whole other matter! For many of us, the focus of our worship has become our things… homes, cars, clothing, and gadgets. We would rather shop for new shoes than spend time helping the hungry and homeless. We are willing to buy clothing for someone in need… but only if we can buy something for ourselves, too. We will give what we can of our time, talents and money… but only after we have taken care of Numero Uno!
All you have to do is go to a couple or three estate sales and see what “moths and rust” do to STUFF! The things of this world do not make us better friends, teachers, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, ministers, or disciples. What matters is our relationship – with God first, and then with others. If you really want to live in abundance, you have to trim the fat – in every area of your life. You have to focus on the treasures of heaven – living for Jesus and serving as His hands and feet in this lifetime – and care little for the things of this world.
This is not a call to toss all of your clothes and wear the same thing every day. I’m not suggesting you sell your car, home and all of your belongings and live in a pup tent. The key is balance… and single-mindedness – on Jesus Christ. When you store up “treasures of heaven” and help to build the Kingdom of God, earthly blessings and provisions will follow. You will always have plenty. Your closets and shelves may not be full… but your heart will be overflowing. Where is your focus... where are you storing up treasures?
©2012 Debbie Robus
