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
Showing posts with label possessions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label possessions. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for January 31, 2011
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.
We have begun sorting my grandmother’s clothes in preparation for her move to an assisted living facility… hopefully within the next week or so. My grandmother’s house is very small… but like most people, she has made very good use of her space! I remarked after paring down the clothing in three closets to one that “Mam-ma has more clothes than I have… and I have too many!” The interesting thing was how many of these items of clothing I have never seen her wear. She has beautiful suits… nice matching outfits that have a jacket, pants and a blouse… probably a dozen coats… and much more.
Several items of clothing looked as if they had never been worn… and truly, they might have been worn two or three times. Again, like many of us, my grandmother wears a few items of clothing over and over again. She has “good clothes” and “everyday clothes”… “work clothes” and “clothes I wear to the beauty shop” (clothing that can get wet or survive a hair product spill). She has her “regular pajamas,” and her pajamas she keeps tucked away in a drawer… “in case I have to go to the hospital.”
As we sorted, she mumbled to me that she hated to wear such nice things at the assisted living facility. I laughed and said, somewhat sarcastically, “Are you afraid you will be putting on airs or something?” She retorted, “Well, yes!” I assured her she would be just fine, and now was the time to be wearing her nicer things. As my cousin put it later… “This is her time to shine!”
For the record, my grandmother is not a materialistic person. Many of the beautiful clothing pieces she has were given to her as Christmas and birthday gifts or as a treat from some cousins who visit and always take her shopping. She is one of the most frugal… and generous… people I know. But we all know people who spend hours and days and weeks searching for just the right outfit… those who have to have the newest sneakers or the latest gadget. We know people who get on a waiting list for the next best electronic or computerized thing to come down the pike… tossing aside what they already own like yesterday’s garbage.
The more I go to estate auctions and sales… and yes, sort through my grandmother’s belongings… the more I am struck by how “it’s all just stuff.” Remember, everything my grandmother owned burned to the ground in 1981. She has accumulated everything she now has in the last thirty years. Think of those who have been amassing “stuff” for a lifetime that spans a half dozen decades or more! Hopefully, they are like my grandmother and realize that all of it can vaporize in a matter of minutes. Hopefully, we are learning that what matters is accumulating blessings, time spent serving God, good friends, loving our family and those around us, and truly building a reserve of “Disciple moments”.
There is nothing wrong with having nice things. There is no shame in dressing well or enjoying the latest computer gadget. But when we put these things ahead of our work for the Kingdom of God… when we value tangible things more than relationships with Him and His children…we’re in serious trouble. What we value really does speak about our heart. What do you value? Where is your heart? Are you packing away “stuff” in your closets and drawers for a “special occasion?” Or are you “wearing your good clothes” today as you serve God with your very best?
©2011 Debbie Robus
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.
We have begun sorting my grandmother’s clothes in preparation for her move to an assisted living facility… hopefully within the next week or so. My grandmother’s house is very small… but like most people, she has made very good use of her space! I remarked after paring down the clothing in three closets to one that “Mam-ma has more clothes than I have… and I have too many!” The interesting thing was how many of these items of clothing I have never seen her wear. She has beautiful suits… nice matching outfits that have a jacket, pants and a blouse… probably a dozen coats… and much more.
Several items of clothing looked as if they had never been worn… and truly, they might have been worn two or three times. Again, like many of us, my grandmother wears a few items of clothing over and over again. She has “good clothes” and “everyday clothes”… “work clothes” and “clothes I wear to the beauty shop” (clothing that can get wet or survive a hair product spill). She has her “regular pajamas,” and her pajamas she keeps tucked away in a drawer… “in case I have to go to the hospital.”
As we sorted, she mumbled to me that she hated to wear such nice things at the assisted living facility. I laughed and said, somewhat sarcastically, “Are you afraid you will be putting on airs or something?” She retorted, “Well, yes!” I assured her she would be just fine, and now was the time to be wearing her nicer things. As my cousin put it later… “This is her time to shine!”
For the record, my grandmother is not a materialistic person. Many of the beautiful clothing pieces she has were given to her as Christmas and birthday gifts or as a treat from some cousins who visit and always take her shopping. She is one of the most frugal… and generous… people I know. But we all know people who spend hours and days and weeks searching for just the right outfit… those who have to have the newest sneakers or the latest gadget. We know people who get on a waiting list for the next best electronic or computerized thing to come down the pike… tossing aside what they already own like yesterday’s garbage.
The more I go to estate auctions and sales… and yes, sort through my grandmother’s belongings… the more I am struck by how “it’s all just stuff.” Remember, everything my grandmother owned burned to the ground in 1981. She has accumulated everything she now has in the last thirty years. Think of those who have been amassing “stuff” for a lifetime that spans a half dozen decades or more! Hopefully, they are like my grandmother and realize that all of it can vaporize in a matter of minutes. Hopefully, we are learning that what matters is accumulating blessings, time spent serving God, good friends, loving our family and those around us, and truly building a reserve of “Disciple moments”.
There is nothing wrong with having nice things. There is no shame in dressing well or enjoying the latest computer gadget. But when we put these things ahead of our work for the Kingdom of God… when we value tangible things more than relationships with Him and His children…we’re in serious trouble. What we value really does speak about our heart. What do you value? Where is your heart? Are you packing away “stuff” in your closets and drawers for a “special occasion?” Or are you “wearing your good clothes” today as you serve God with your very best?
©2011 Debbie Robus
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