Shades of Greed

  

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Luke 12:15
And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
Thanks so much for taking time out of your day to come have coffee with me, to turn it all off for a few minutes and just encourage your soul. I pray that this month’s WOW has given you plenty of knots in your red Strand of Faith. After all, there’s nothing like a splash of perspective to put out the fire in our souls that can often send us off on a desire to acquire things that make us spiritually haywire!
So I left off with a questions/cry out to God, what are you trying to teach me? I got my answer and it came in the form of a vision at a sweet time of prayer with our connection group. I don’t remember who was praying, but my soul was quietly agreeing, my mind on the prayer requests when He reminded me of a sweet time years ago that He brought me to and through: It was the morning after being placed on workers’ compensation. I was sitting in my big comfy chair, sipping my coffee, trying not to choke on my sobs. I was almost yelling at Him, telling Him I was a court reporter and I didn’t understand why He was allowing this carpal tunnel and tendonitis situation to become so unbearable that I could not even hold a pen, let alone report the oppressive family law matters we heard every day that relentlessly filled the court room five days a week, six hours a day!
His gentle response told me that that is what I did for a living; now He was going to perform open-heart surgery, spiritually speaking, so I would be equipped and ready to do what He created me to do. And I remember what happened right after that, as if it were yesterday. I saw a huge mountain, and there were waterfalls all over the place so you can imagine the sound … the beauty … from atop. What happened next was so beautiful … I jumped and as I jumped, I said I trust you, Father, to provide for me. I trust that you will never leave me or forsake me. I trust that the plan you have for my life is not to harm me, but to lift me up and give me a hope, a future … The funny thing is I have never landed … but I do remember feeling a peace that transcends all understanding that has guarded my heart and mind and kept me mid-air, so to speak, my life no longer mine but His.
As He replayed that moment for me, He gave me a different ending: this time in the vision, there were two people, holding hands, getting ready to jump. This is my husband’s time to take his jump off the mountain, trusting the Lord our God with all his heart, soul and mind for a new direction that will lead him to his purpose in life, not land him in a job that will simply pay the bills, but to be spending his life on eternal things.
See, the shades of greed can keep us from our purpose; the pursuit of money, love, acceptance, achievement, power, food, sex … whatever it is that we require to acquire which causes us to count on our own resources and keep us believing we are independent of God, these are all detours.  Tweet This!
God never intended for our financial blessings to divide families, cultures, religions …He never intended for us to desire anything more than Him which is why He warns us against idolatry. Anything that we desire to acquire that rents more space in our head and heart is a form of greed/idolatry! Everything we have is borrowed, gifted to us temporarily. What would our world look like if we were to spend our external blessings (time, money, ourselves) on eternal purposes?  Tweet This!
Let’s not forget what money and/time cannot purchase! Let’s give ourselves completely over to eternal things.
All of us are presented with choices when the desire to acquire things comes upon us; our choice will determine the height of our jump or the depth of the term haywire. In such a time as this, I can resort to the desire to control and return to my vocation of court reporting to give us the money to acquire more, pay bills, taking me further and further away from my calling and purpose, or I can grab the hand of Jesus, and my husband’s and jump … who knows, our purposes may entwine!
As George and I begin to jump, hand in hand, there is a warning to us as well as a reminder for us as we begin this jump of faith: Take heed, beware of covetousness (shades of greed) for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of things he/she possesses, but in He who possesses all.
Thanks for joining me … be sure and come back for Faith-filled Fridays with Debbie!
Evinda