Luke - Your Kingdom ComeIsampula

Accumulating vs.Trusting

The popular television series “Hoarders” highlights people with homes that are stuffed with thousands of items the people will never use. While only a small percentage of Americans are compulsive hoarders, most of us still have a tendency to accumulate stuff. 

There was a UCLA study in 2001 that focused on the home life of 32 middle-income families in Los Angeles. The study found that only 25 percent of their garages could be used to store cars because they were so packed with stuff. This same study also found that managing the volume of possessions elevated levels of stress hormones for mothers.

In today’s passage, a man displays his desperate need for more. In fact, he wants Jesus to help him get more property. The man thinks he knows what he needs, but Jesus wants him to see the answer is not in the stuff, but in the Great Provider. 

Some people believe that the more they have, the safer they will feel. Jesus is showing us that possessions will never give us safety. Safety comes from understanding that God is our provider and that we are administrators of the riches he entrusts us with. 

We worry when we stop trusting. Worry comes to our minds and hearts the minute we start doubting that God is able to provide for us. Our Father knows what we need, so put God and his kingdom first (as your top priority in life), and the rest will be yours as well. It is a promise coming from Jesus’s mouth, so you know that it will never return to him without having accomplished its purpose. 

Reflect

What am I typically concerned about? What does Jesus want me to be concerned about? 

Pray

God, I’ve shared my unmet needs with you in the past. I’ve shared my doubts and disappointments, too. Jesus, as I read your words in a moment, give me your perspective. Shape my thinking. Help me to trust you more. Amen. 

Respond 

What is your top priority in life now? Do you need to adjust your priorities? 

Give God control of everything. Ask him to help you give him those areas that are most difficult to relinquish. Is there something God would want you to give away right now? If so, ask God for the strength to do it, knowing he will. 

Generosity is a wonderful way to combat materialism. With whom does God want you to be generous this week? 

Dear Father, thank you for the way you feed the birds and the many ways you provide for me. You have given me so much. Thank you. You are faithful and generous. Help me to trust you and see everything I have from your perspective. Help me to trust and obey, and to be generous with others. Amen.