I Want To Be Rich!

"She was moved to a profound but pleasurable melancholy by the evidence that human life is brief and is long survived by the material things it had believed itself to possess." - And The Ladies Of The Club

Beautiful thoughts penned in a book written many years ago. Its words as true today as when ink was still wet. My husband read this book and was so moved by it that he kept these words in full view on his desk.  It was a time for him to reflect on his desires to acquire, tame, create, master over. 

He had owned land and thought of it as his. His plans changed as he came face to face with His creator.

His plans were not bad. Money is not evil... if it does not control us. 

The recognition that we own nothing changes everything. 

We are caretakers and borrowers. We are indebted to the One who is the Provider, the Shepherd. We are His helpers.

Do we help or do we hinder?

What are we seeking to be rich in?

"Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God." 
Luke 12:21 

In Luke 12 Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool. His plans were as big as his crops. His harvest was so vast he needed to build bigger barns. Tearing down the old, to build bigger and better barns... to store up his treasure. He had no thoughts of giving his overflow to the poor. 

Greed was his master. 

Verse 19 says," And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."

But God said to him,
''You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?"

What do we do with the excess, the overflow of our lives? Do we give till it hurts? Why do we hold on with clenched fists.. to a piece of dirty green paper, that sometimes defines us?  Do we ever deny ourselves, so that we can help our brother or sister in need?

Why do we judge the person in need ... deciding if they are worthy or not. Is that the role we were given by our Creator? 

Do we remember Jesus words to Peter? 'If you love me Peter, you will feed my sheep.'' Those words are to us, the church. 

Jesus never said,  check them out and see how hungry they really are, if they have been a good person, if they have made good choices."

Feed My Sheep is pretty clear.

We have been given much, let us be generous with all of it. It is the narrow path to true riches.

"He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for all he has done."

Proverbs 19:17