Are You Possessed

"Then he said, "Beware! Don’t be greedy for what you don’t have. Real life is not measured by how much we own." Luke 12:15

Despite the recent economic crisis we live in decadent times. A short-term mission trip will quickly change your mind if you don't currently agree. Visit any third-world country and you will see mud huts, refugees, bloated bellies, naked or scantly clothed people. Living a life of poverty and experiecing a recession are two entirely different things.

In America mansions line upper class neighborhoods. Even our pets have beautiful houses and nice soft beds. We shop until we drop only to go back and buy more. Many live from paycheck to paycheck and others live way beyond their means. Still, we must "keep up with the Joneses" at all costs even if we ruin our health and relationships in the process. Sadly enough, no matter what we have we are never truly satisfied. We are always looking towards the next best thing and stretching to obtain it.

Jesus was careful to warn His followers about the danger of greed.
He made it clear that a person’s life is not measured by what they possess. He of all people could make that statement. According to the Bible He was a man of no reputation. Actually, the Gospels portray Him as a homeless person. The Prophets say he was nothing special to look at. A traveler journeying from place to place doing good He ate and drank with sinners. His closest friends were a bunch of raggedy fishermen who probably did not own much more than He did.

Yet Jesus had some things that we often take for granted. He had perfect peace. He had knowledge of the Father’s will for His life. He had a purity that bestowed upon Him the power to do miracles, signs, and wonders. He had wisdom far beyond His years. He had the satisfaction of a life well lived. He had good friends and a few faithful followers. Those are things we tend to take for granted.

When we measure our worth or the worth of another by possessions we make a serious mistake. We are judging from outward appearances and as a result often miss the matters of the heart. Some people have more than others--others just have more bills.

There are people who possess great wealth yet they die miserable and alone. It happens because their money has become their god and there is no room for Jesus in their lives. Jesus spoke on more than one occasion concerning this subject. He said that we should lay up for ourselves treasure in heaven because He knew that wherever our treasure is our heart will be, too. Earthly treasures are just that earthly. They have no value in heaven. We can't take them with us when we go and they have the potential of getting in the way of us making the journey. Be careful of what you treasure.

Likewise be careful of what you embrace as truth. Many believers have this false notion that the more they have, the more they are loved by God. In their minds possessions determine spiritual position. As a result they sometimes look down on a person who has very little wondering what sin or shortcoming robbed them of the wealth that God had for them.

According to the Bible we serve an impartial God. He blesses the just and the unjust. His rewards for those who seek Him are not monetary but spiritual blessings. They may not look like much to other people and they may not make us popular with the masses but nevertheless they are priceless.

Do not make the mistake of basing your worth or the worth of another by your pay check, the square footage of your home, the number of cars you own, or how many diamonds you wear. All of those things require time and maintenance and still they will eventually breakdown, fall apart, or lose value in man’s eyes.

Base your worth on the fact that you are a child of God. You are an heir of the kingdom. See the value of peace, joy, love, and all the other gifts of the Spirit. Maybe you will decide to move some things out of your life to make room for more of Jesus. If you do, you will not be disappointed nor will you be turned away. God is looking for people who have things but do not allow things to have them. People who possess but are not possessed. The question is will you be one of them? I pray your answer will be YES!