Wednesday Words of Encouragement

I was at the gym yesterday and there was a home improvement show on where home designers come into a home and upgrade it to the owner's specifications. The home they were looking at was about 4,000 square feet and gorgeous. As the couple was going through and showing the contractors what they wanted they kept saying, "We need more space." "This is not big enough for our needs." "We want a laundry room." and on and on it went. The thought that went through me as I was listening was that we, as a society, have become all about hoarding things and greed.

I'm reading through the Gospel of Luke and was reading in Luke 12 the other day. Jesus shares the parable of the rich man who hoards his wealth. God comes to claim his life and calls him a fool for storing up treasure for himself rather than using what he had for the Lord.

Right on the heals of this parable, Jesus tells the disciples not to worry about what they will eat or what they will wear because God knows about their needs and will provide. Then this verse immediately follows, "Be ready for service and have your lamps lit." The verses following talk about being ready for the bridegroom who will be returning.

That verse in Luke jumped off the page at me as I read. While I don't live in a 4,000 square foot house nor can even imagine it, so often I lose focus of the calling I received from the Lord and can start fixating on my physical needs. 

I know without a doubt that I am doing what I was called to do by God. And this passage was a good reminder to me that if He has called me, He will continue to provide as He has all along. 

My task is to be faithful to the call I received, use my resources to further His kingdom, and not to over-obsess or worry about material things. And then I need to be ready and alert for the service He has called me to do. 

How about you? Are you spending most of your time building up material things so you can be secure? Do you worry incessantly about your needs to the point that is all you focus on? Do you feel God calling you to do a particular ministry and yet, you hesitate doing it because it may take time away from something you want to do?

Let's make sure we have the proper perspective about our material possessions. All we own is from the Lord. Some have been blessed with more ability, money and possessions. But no matter if we have more or less, all is to be used to further God's kingdom and for His glory.

Be thankful for what you've been given, but be sure to keep a loose grasp on it. In the end, we will stand before God. He won't be interested in what we stored up for ourselves but will want an accounting for what we did for Him.