Material Stuff!

You know I am all about sharing stuff that pokes me in the eye, so today is no exception to that rule!


Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, 'What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' Then he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and then 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, 'You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.   Luke 12:16-21


Is this not one of the most boring stories ever? It all about the farmer and what he has, how great his crop is, what he has done, and the good time he is going to have. Did you see it? But God... I was glad to see that God spoke to break through this false security of this rich farmers plan.


I believe this story teaches us a lesson on God's response to our attitude towards material possessions. It warns us not to place our security in them. In our day and time, so much of who we are is identified with what we have. We spend our entire lives and a ton of energy in a frantic pursuit of it. It causes stress related illnesses also known as burn out. It also causes us to become fixated on the self. Maybe it's telling us more.


Maybe we are being alerted to the reality that our judgment is taking place now. Within our own hearts we are being judged by the Holy Spirit. Bergan and Schwan say The judgement is tragic if we are guilty of neglecting and closing ourselves off to the kingdom that is already present within us and totally accessible at every moment. 


The greatest sadness is not death; it is to have missed life.


Consider these things for yourself:
- What is it that I gather - riches, degrees, prestige?
- What have I built to house my "treasures" - roles, positions, buildings?
- What have I stored up as my security for the future - reputation, wealth, power, relationships?


Mine has changed through the years, it had to. Yet, I still have gathered. I am storing up a false sense of security, but it's not as bad as it use to be. To God be the glory!