Acquire Christ!

After I walked my sons to the bus stop today, I kept on walking.  I took the long way home for additional exercise, and passed through a residential area of Kellyville and back to my home in Beaumont Hills.  It was a great time of reflection and drinking in the beauty of the birds, trees, and clouds. For the first time this year, I noticed an autumn bite in the morning weather.  It was also a great opportunity to speak with the LORD, casting cares upon Him.  Towards the end of the walk I happened to pass by an open garage door.  It was organised and stocked with nice things.  Funny, I thought to myself as I looked away:  I have no desire for anything in there.  In that moment I experience unnatural peace and contentment.  I thanked God I did not feel the slightest twinge of covetousness or envy when I saw expensive, great things that were not mine.  I'm so happy God has freed and kept me from sin!

Jesus said in Luke 12:15, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  We live in a world that does not believe Jesus.  The world completely believes quality of your life is dictated by your possessions!  A Christian is someone who has discovered that true life is found only in Jesus Christ by faith.  Take away all my stuff and I still have Christ.  Take away my health and my life and I still have eternal life!  Yet many people - even Christians - can have their lives wrapped up in their possessions.  Our thoughts can be consumed with what we have, don't have, or what we really want to have.  Lately I have watched a couple of "hoarding" shows on TV which illustrate the struggle some people have with hoarding things.  A pattern which can be immediately observed between the various personalities is that holding onto things pushes people away.  What is true in the natural is often true in the spiritual.  When we fall into the trap of covetousness, we push God away.  We can covet whether we have things or not.

Covetousness, like all other sins, is wretched.  It springs from a lack of contentment with what God has graciously provided.  When we covet we are telling God what He has given us is not good enough.  It reveals we are selfish, we do not trust God to know what we need, and stands in firm denial He is able to satisfy our needs.  We internally slander God for not acquiescing to our desires and judgments.  Bitterness, envy, discontent, and selfishness are the brood of covetousness.  God keep me from this sin!  Though we may not covet for a whole day, we must be mindful we can slip into this grave error in a moment.  God is wise to keep us from having things.  Our perceived lack brings covetousness to the birth and should reveal our sin to us.  Then we can repent, refocus our eyes upon Christ, and remember that God shall supply all our needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus.  When things become more important than God or others, we have slipped into idolatry.  Only God can deliver from this slough.

We can heap up riches to ourselves, but without relationships it is little more than rubbish.  They say that one man's trash is another man's treasure, but to isolate yourself from people or God because of stuff is foolishness.  Spurgeon tells a story of a dying miser in his bed, with full bags of money under his arms. He said to each one, "Must I leave you?  Have I lived all these years for you, and now must I leave you?"  He writes, "There is a tale told of another, who had many pains in his death, and especially the great pain of a disturbed conscience.  He also had his money bags brought, one by one, with his mortgages, and bonds, and deeds, and putting them near his heart, he sighed, and said, 'These won't do; these won't do; these won't do; take them away!  What poor things they all are when I most need comfort in my dying moments.'" (Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, pg. 381)  Acquiring more is not the means to satisfaction, comfort, and peace.  Real joy and comfort for eternity is discovered when we give ourselves away to God.  It is in that place of surrender that we receive greater riches from God than money can buy.