Covetous? Or rich toward God!

About a week ago we had an appointment with our lawyer to update our wills. In order to help us with the process, he was obligated to present us with all the ‘worst case scenarios’ that he could think of. By the time he was finished with all the ‘what-ifs’ I was becoming impatient. Most of what he said sounded as if they came from the script of a terrible soap opera. However, he assured us that things like this happen, that families do fight over wills and inheritances, even though I tried to convince him that our family does not.

Today’s reading takes me to Luke 12. Jesus is talking to a large gathering when someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

Our lawyer might mutter, “See, they fight and even ask God to pick sides,” but Jesus would not do it. He replied, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” Then, so all the crowd could hear, He said, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

This is so true. It even seems appropriate at Christmas to be reminded that our lives are not about stuff, not how much stuff we have, nor about how much stuff is placed under the Christmas tree. While most would nod in agreement, the truth comes out when a sibling tries to take that special item that “mom said I could have.”

In thinking about that, another truism comes to mind from the same passage in Luke. It gave me the second part of one of those ‘one-two punches’ that God often delivers . . .

The first came while we were at the Christmas Eve service in our church, singing and celebrating that God clothed Himself in human flesh and lived among us. I had struggled all day with something, one of those ‘I wants’ that I knew would never be under the Christmas tree, but the Lord used this special evening to speak to me. I was still thinking about it when He clearly said, “Your life is not about you.”

With that fresh in my mind, He took me today to the second part of Luke 12 where Jesus shared a parable with the crowd. He said, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

All that day I’d been wanting to lay up treasure for myself. It wasn’t more ‘stuff’ but it was something I thought would enrich my life. But God spoke two times stressing that my life is not about me, and if I try to make it about me, I will always feel impoverished. It is only when I’m fully consecrated to Him that I will feel rich and actually be rich.

“And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:38–39)

Merry Christmas

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17)

Walking in righteousness while buying more stuff?

. . .  He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3)

We were driving out of a shopping center with a few purchases and spotted a man with a sign that said “Homeless and hungry.” The traffic pushed us out of the parking lot, but the sight of that man bothered my husband. He said that he might drive past many, but felt he needed to help this one. He said, “Here we are, able to buy whatever we want and he looks hungry.” So he drove around the block and re-entered the parking lot.

For many, the first thought when seeing someone like this man is, “get a job” or “is he for real?” I tend toward the latter, not really wanted to believe that people can be that destitute in a well-off country like this. But I have to admit that most of my thinking is pure selfishness.

Looking out for number one is part of this culture in which we live. It seems the right thing to do, but that is a poor excuse. The Bible says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” (Proverbs 14:12)

Taking care of our own assets and seeking to add more to the pile does seem right for those with the money to do it. How could buying things be so dangerous that it ends in death? It wouldn’t if a person has the right attitude toward God . . . 

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good. God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. (Psalm 53:1–3)

Someone once said that people can go through life picking up all the baubles they want, but eventually they must go through the checkout. This isn’t very good theology in one sense, but I agree with the importance of thinking about the whole of life and what really matters at the end of it. Only fools refuse to seek after God and His righteousness. The worst of it is, unless He seeks us and changes our hearts, we are all fools.

God describes a fool as someone who refuses to be accountable to God concerning sin, but also concerning direction in life. He says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” (Proverbs 12:15) I would add that the way of a fool is to look out for number one without considering others and without any considering the end of life and the truism that we can take none of it with us.

On one occasion, Jesus was speaking when someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” He answered, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?  . . . Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:13–15)

I often think about that story and Jesus’ response. The man wanted fairness or so it seemed, but Jesus looked deeper. He knew that this man was jealous of those who had more and thought that having more would somehow make him a better person or put him in a better position.

This man and the crowd around him had priorities like those of most people today. Bigger, better, more describes the normal value system, yet God turns that upside-down. Jesus described what is far more important in a parable . . .

The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. (Luke 12:16–21)

Buying, buying and more buying is not necessarily wrong, but doing it with right motives is not only a challenge – it is practically impossible.

Worshiping bigger, better, more . . .

Due to a miscommunication, my carry-on case with laptop and a half-dozen books wound up staying in the back seat of a taxi instead of being unloaded with the rest of our luggage. My reaction surprised me. I was more concerned about the miscommunication than I was about losing my case with its pricey contents. Thankfully, due to my husband’s efforts, it was returned intact.

The next day we watched a television show in which a house burned down. I wondered how I would respond if that happened to us and we lost everything we have, permanently. Would I be so calm?

Today’s devotion warns against the idolatry of things. It directs me to a passage in Luke where a man appealed to Jesus on the grounds of what he thought would be fair play. But Jesus must have surprised him. He ignored his plea and pointed to a deeper and more selfish motivation . . .

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:13–15)

Most of us are impressed with things, more, bigger, better. On our holiday, we visited the Biltmore, the largest private residence in the continent and very impressive. We also notice things like a neighbor’s new car or an amazing collection of shoes, or memorabilia, or art. It seems normal for us to be attached to our stuff, to protect it and guard it. However, Jesus tells a parable about this, warning me that loving my stuff can also be idolatry . . .  

The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. (Luke 12:16–21)

When I was much younger, I wanted a big house with large rooms. After moving twenty-nine times and living in a variety of homes, I’ve learned that a big or small house has nothing to do with satisfaction. As the writer of Ecclesiastes says, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? . . . As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again . . . and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind?” (Ecclesiastes 5:5 –16)

Some have decided the only way to avoid the idolatry of things is to be rid of it all and live in poverty, but that is an external solution. Even a poor man can idolize things. Instead, God often blesses His people with things to enjoy, making the true gift of God something else entirely.

I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. (Ecclesiastes 3:12–13)

I can enjoy what God has given me, but Jesus tells me not to be anxious about my stuff. Life is more than food, even though I need food, and my body is more than what hangs in my closet, even though I need clothes. The reality is that all the good things I have come from the hand of God. I can enjoy it all, but not let any of it possess me, for “life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.”

By anxiety, I cannot add a single hour to my life. What I have or do not have is the prerogative of God, and because He “clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven” I can trust Him to take care of me. Far better than trusting things is the ability to trust God. He is able to take care of that department of life as well as everything else.

As Jesus said, my heavenly Father knows what I need. It is up to me to, “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” and let Him add (or subtract) whatever will be in my best interest and for His glory. (Matthew 6:25–34) Certainly, bowing to the idol of things only takes my focus off God who is the source of all things, and makes no sense at all.