Living or Pancakes?

Lately, meaning the last couple of years, I have had the opportunity to be in a successful job, industry, and seemingly unending opportunities clamoring for my attention.  I have been able to invest, see profits, grow in wealth, and increase the things that ‘really’ matter – or so we are told.  I have good car(s), nice house, stay-at-home wife, healthy child, burgeoning business, slew of friends (at least on FaceBook), adequate retirement, and in the race to gain it all, I have become consumed….by it all.

In the quest to make plans and forecast earnings, profits, investments, and income, I have slipped into a worship of stuff.  Not that I am whole-heartedly pursuing it as full-blown idolatry, but I do value these stuffs too much.  In looking at 2010, I have been making plans, arrangements, and expecting the stuff of the world to abound in my life, but recently with the death of friends’ family, awful diagnoses, and heartache, I have been quickened by the holy spirit to recall the parable the Lord taught.

Luke 12.16 – 20

And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

I have been behaving like this man.  My barns have grown to capacity and have sought to build bigger edifices to my own pride and temples for my goods, all the while the Lord, in his mercy, has awakened my heart and asked, ‘Are you rich towards me?’ This striking question has me enveloped in sadness.  The sadness that only comes through a contrite heart when convicted of sin.  There is no trinket, knick knack, or woozit, that is not the possession of Christ.  His hand rules it all, and there is nothing to which he is not sovereign.

I am grateful that the Lord saw fit to be merciful to me to make sure that I am growing in richness toward him – holiness, gentleness, humility, patience, discipline, and a deeper understanding of the gospel.  Thankfully, the Lord Jesus through his spirit has bellowed to me, ‘FOOL!’ so that I may resurrect my affections to him, and be found eagerly investing in his kingdom.

To him is due all glory, power, dominion, honor, AND money, homes, children, cars, IRAs, and my breath for ever and ever. Amen.