“One’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
– Jesus to a man in the crowd (Luke 12:15)
During one of Christ’s sermons, a man in the crowd asked Jesus to tell his brother to divide the family inheritance with him. Rather than step into the family feud, Jesus turned the tables on him by exposing his greed and covetousness.
Take a look at our hectic pace here in the United States. Many times, our lives indicate that the purpose of life is to get, keep, and save as much stuff as possible. The bumper sticker puts it: “He who dies with the most toys wins.” Yet, Christ reminds us that the most important things – those factors that actually define life, are not things at all.
Wealth and lots of money do not give life and lots of happiness.
The person that lives and dies with money, may live and die “happily.” But the person who lives and dies with nothing but money, will live and die in vain.
Jesus does not command us to put away all our legitimate goals and ambitions. We are not commanded to despise the pleasant things in the world.
But good gifts should always point us to the Giver.
The motivating factor for the life of Jesus was the glory of his Father. He did not live for “things.”
Jesus spent His life with and for people, not possessions…
– truth, not things…
– God’s will, not man’s wishes…
Yes, we must use our God-given resources to further His kingdom. Yet the moment in which we begin to relate our lives to the gifts, rather than to the Giver, is the moment we have begun to engage in idolatry.
