Tuesday, September 16, 2008

What do I do with this stuff?

I'm really having a difficult time getting past some scriptures that seem to be ganging up on me. A few days ago I wrote a post on the rich young ruler. He was someone who had all of the externals, had spent his life in church, and the lifestyle down pat. He knew that something was still missing. He said he had kept all of the commandments, but he wanted to know what he lacked. Jesus told him to sell everything and give to the poor. The young man was sad because he had so much stuff.

Jesus said that it was incredibly difficult for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God. This is not because wealth is evil; rather wealth just gives us so many options to play out prior to trusting God.

Luke 12 has Jesus teaching and he says not to be afraid of doing without food and clothing because our Father knows we need them. Then in verse 33 he again says to sell your possessions and give to the poor.

What is stirring up inside of me is this question. If I didn't have the savings and the income producing assets that "allow" me to work cheap and go to help other missions works, would I be limited in what I can do for Christ? In other words, if I didn't have those things to depend on, and God was truly directing my footsteps, might I actually be able to do more for God in a true faith life? Are the things I see as liberating because they are owned debt-free actually holding me back from God's best for my life? I really don't know, and at this point I don't have any plans to hold an enormous "everything goes" garage sale. But the question still nags.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Randy,It would seem to me that the qestion the Lord posed to the "rich" young ruler was....
What or WHO has you??? What or who controls your life??
Obviously it was the what ($) in the young man's life and obeying rules where his controls.
Your even bringing this issue up tells me the Lord is controlling your life. The Lord always wants to be first because then HIS PLAN
is the primary. Just because the Lord asks us to give something up [read the HOLY SPIRIT REALLY ASKS] DOESN'T MEAN HE will require it. Being willing to have Jesus be the control is the main issue.

Man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.

Randy, I can not do what you and Carol are doing because you worked hard and allowed God to bless that work as you followed HIM as best you know how. Look what HE is accomplishing through your submission to HIM.

I say again......
What or WHO has you??? What or who controls your life??
THAT IS THE QUESTION.....My observation is Jesus controls you...sic em !!

some more of G_d's word to go with Luke 12

Proverbs 21:20-21
27:12
28:19
John 14:1, 21

gary