More
Is Not Better
Then
he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard
against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not
consist in the abundance of his possessions."
Then
he said, "Beware! Don’t be greedy for what you
don’t have. Real life is not measured by how much we
own."
Luke
12:15
We are
living in very decadent times. Mansions line upper
class neighborhoods and our pets have beautiful houses
and nice soft beds. We shop until we drop only to go
back and buy more and more. Many live from paycheck to
paycheck and others live way beyond their means.
Still, we must "keep up with the Joneses" at
all costs even if we ruin our health and relationships
in the process. Sadly enough, no matter what we have
we are never truly satisfied. We are always looking
towards the next best thing and stretching to obtain
it.
Jesus
was careful to warn His followers about the danger of
greed. He made it clear that a person’s life is not
measured by what they possess. He of all people could
make that statement. According to the Bible He was a
man of no reputation. He was royalty and owned the
entire world but still people were not impressed. They
did not take heed or take notice.
Actually,
the Gospels portray Him as a homeless person. The
Prophets say he was nothing special to look at. He
traveled from place to place doing good. He ate and
drank with the sinners and His closest friends were
common fishermen who probably did not own much more
than He did.
Yet
Jesus had some things that we often take for granted.
He had perfect peace. He had knowledge of the
Father’s will for His life. He had a purity that
bestowed upon Him the power to do miracles, signs, and
wonders. He had wisdom far beyond His years. He had
the satisfaction of a life well lived. He had good
friends and faithful followers. Those are things we
tend to take for granted.
When
we measure our worth or the worth of another by their
possessions we make a serious mistake. We are judging
from outward appearances and as a result often miss
the matters of the heart. Some people have more than
others…and others have more bills than some.
Jesus
spoke on more than one occasion concerning this
subject. He said that we should lay up for ourselves
treasure in heaven and that where our treasure is our
heart will be also. If only we could grasp that
concept and hold on to it for dear life.
There
are people who have great wealth yet they die
miserable and alone. It happens because their money
has become their god and there is no room for Jesus in
their lives. Others who do have Jesus living in them
have the false notion that the more they have, the
more they are loved by God. Thus the reverse of that
is that sometimes we as believers look down on a
person who has very little wondering what sin or
shortcoming robbed them of the wealth that God had for
them.
According
to the Bible we serve an impartial God. He blesses the
just and the unjust. His rewards for those who seek
Him are not monetary but spiritual blessings. They may
not look like much to other people and they may not
make us popular with the masses but nevertheless they
are priceless.
Do not
make the mistake of basing your worth or the worth of
another by your pay check, the square footage of your
home, the number of cars you own, or how many diamonds
you wear. All of those things require time and
maintenance and still they will eventually breakdown,
fall apart, or lose value in man’s eyes.
Base
your worth on the fact that you are a child of God.
You are an heir of the kingdom. See the value of
peace, joy, love, and all the other gifts of the
Spirit. Maybe you will decide to move some things out
of your life to make room for more of Jesus. If you
do, you will not be disappointed nor will you be
turned away. God is looking for people who have things
but do not allow things to have them. Will you be one
of them?
Prayer:
Father
God, we come to You right now in the Name of Your
Precious Son Jesus and we ask that Your Spirit would
keep alive in us the simple truth that "more is
not better" unless it is MORE OF YOU. We have put
up many idols in our lives and regularly we bow down
to them without even realizing it and realizing how
much it grieves Your heart. Let conviction come upon
us, Father. We do not even know how much we let the
principles of the world work in us but we in all
honesty know that we do.
Help
us to have a new sense of worth that comes from being
Your child. Guide us into a search for kingdom
wealth...spiritual possessions that will never pass
away. We want to be an example and a witness for You.
Most of all...we want to make room for more of You in
our lives.
In
Jesus' Name!
Amen!
