Luke 12:15 “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”
Thought that title would grab your attention! Let me clarify: Are you possessed by your possessions? We are all “possessed” or under the control and influence of something in this life. One almost universal pitfall that must be avoided is being possessed by our possessions, that is being consumed with what we have and what we want. We live in a consumer society that says the more we have and the more we get and the more we consume the happier we will be. Sadly, that is completely false! We have more stuff now than any other generation ever had and are unhappier and more dissatisfied than ever. STUFF will never SATISFY us like the SAVIOUR can!
Someone wisely observed that we are all driven by glory, either it will be our glory or God’s glory that drives us. As God’s children we are to be consumed with living for the ONE who does deserve glory, and that is God, because He alone deserves it. If, however, we get caught up in the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life we will live for our glory. There is a glory in gain, in earning lots of money, having nice things, being admired and envied, but it doesn’t last. All to soon the shiny stuff just becomes old junk and is tossed into the trash. Our perspective towards our possessions will impact our attitudes and actions. Do we need money to live and pay bills? Yes, we do. What we possess is what we live on but what possesses us is our life, and life, according to Jesus, is much more than what we possess. Greed takes our eyes off God an puts them on the goods of this world.
STUFF will never SATISFY us like the SAVIOUR can!
Robert Pophal | Pastor
Rose Park Baptist Church | Holland, MI
