We as a society in the U.S. have become increasingly materialistic. The more technology advances, the more we feel the need to have the latest and the best, and the fastest thing on the market. Our possessions have taken ownership of our souls and we must maintain at all costs. As you drive across the countryside passing through small town towns of less than one thousand people, chances are you will see a storage unit business. In larger cities there are massive buildings choked full of stuff people do not have room for in their house, so they have to rent more space to store the stuff they might need someday. There is even television shows of auctions of stuff that people have abandon in these storage units.
In the Bible when a man who had acquired much did not have room to store all he had he said to himself "This is what I will do, I will tear down my barns and build and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I'll say to myself, you have plenty of grain Laid up for many years. Take Life easy, eat, drink, and be merry."
Are we as a society so different than this man?
In the decision about what to do with our house before leaving for South Sudan I was faced with a side of my self that I admit made me think. I am a firm believer in the idea that the Lord is the owner of everything that I possess. However the thought of selling our house and getting quite a bit of money to stash away in the bank sounded really good. I said to myself, "with that kind of money, I could be very self sufficient, I would not have to rely on any one for my needs and wants while in South Sudan"
I have not viewed my self as really materialistic, but when faced with this I had to reconsider.I do like financial security. I do like not have to wait on any one else when I need something. The Lord showed me that my security must come from my position in Christ not in the abundance of my possessions. My riches must be found in the relationship with Him and those around me, not the stuff of this world. This was not the easiest thing for me to grasp having grown up in the U.S.
This is the true riches that will bless you and everyone around you now and into eternity. Nothing or no one can take these away, but the things we collect and call riches will all be lost as you pass over.
"But God said to him, you fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself."
Luke 12: 18 - 21
