When We Love Our Stuff Too Much

Have you ever heard The Parable of the Rich Fool?  It is an ancient story Jesus once told. 

Crowds would often follow Him and people would ask questions.  A young man once asked Jesus to get involved in a personal matter and make his brother divide the family inheritance with him.  In response, Jesus made a profound statement, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15).

Jesus laid his finger on the real issue with the young man.  He loved the “stuff” of life too much.  

Jesus illustrated his point with a story.  He told about a wealthy farmer that had another tremendous harvest.  As a result the farmer said to himself, “What am I going to do?  What I have isn't enough storage for my grain.”  Then he decided, “I'll tear down my existing barns and build larger ones, then I'll be able to store all my grain and many other things.  And after that, because the harvest was so great, I'll have enough saved up for many years to relax, enjoy myself and have no worries.”  But, in the midst of his reasoning, God spoke to him saying, “Fool!  Tonight is your end and all that you've laid up in these barns, whose will they be?”

The story communicated that life is more than the possessions we own.  Jesus effectively made the point by confronting the farmer with his own mortality.  It would all stay behind when he would enter eternity.  

My wife and I witnessed the devastating losses people faced following Hurricane Katrina while doing some relief work along the Gulf Coast.  We saw families who lost everything.  All their possessions were suddenly ripped away.  As we talked to person after person, the disaster became a pivotal moment toward the real priorities in life.     

Why wait to discover this when facing a crisis?  Our stuff can sometimes become a distraction.  As a result, we may live for today and neglect tomorrow, or in other words, live for what is important to us, rather than what is important to God. 

Maybe we do not live for God because we do not know Him.  The farmer got a wakeup call to who God was when God declared, “Tonight is your end.”  Since He has power over life and death and the present and future we ought to heed His warning.  Let us make knowing God through Jesus our highest priority and managing all our stuff, down the list a ways.    .

Here is a prayer for you.  “Creator God – I am sorry I have made things more important than people.  I am sorry I have put more trust in the things of this life, rather than you.  Take my heart.  Wash it clean of all my sin.  Become the number one priority in my life.  In Jesus name, amen.

How to Overcome Loneliness

According to experts in the field of human behavior, loneliness is at epidemic levels.  Millions are walking through this dark valley and every day the numbers are growing. 

It may seem odd as to how people could feel so lonely in our modern times.  With all the technology available it may seem like an impossibility.  But it is true.  Social media, television, movies on demand and having an ability to instantly connect with anyone anywhere does not remove the struggle.

I grew up as a Pastor’s kid and moved often.  My personal fight with loneliness came in my sophomore year of high school.  We moved again and I felt like I could not fit in to the new school in a new town.  I responded by withdrawing to my room.  My grades plummeted and my parents became deeply concerned. 

Here I was surrounded by people at school, church and my family, but overwhelmed by loneliness.  

By no means was my story unique.  Loneliness is a common human experience.  Why do we feel this way?  In an article from Time on this subject, it begins by saying “Humans were not designed to be solitary creatures.”  The author is partially right.  We were not created to live in isolation, but she does not identify who we were created by, which is important. 

All of us were created by God.  He made you and me.  Furthermore, the article did not clarify “solitary”.  Most writings on loneliness speak of isolation in regard to relationships with other people.  That is partially right too. 

Yes, God created human beings to live in relationship with other people . . . and with Him.  Here is a truth.  If we do not know God personally or have drifted in our relationship with Him then we have provided the foundation for loneliness to flourish.    

The first step toward victory begins with Him and understanding that He made us for a purpose.  The Scriptures say, “. . . everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made” (Isaiah 43:7).  God made you to know Him and experience the wonder of His beauty and majesty.  It is there we are made whole and complete, where there is no loneliness, but abiding joy and peace. 

Only one thing keeps us from experiencing this – ourselves.  When we purposefully resist God, passively neglect Him, hurt others or put our needs above those around us, we open the door of our life to loneliness. 

Here is the good news though.  Jesus came to save us from ourselves.  Through His death and resurrection, He made a way for us to be made whole. 

Are you struggling with loneliness?  There is hope!  Take the step of knowing God and following Jesus Christ with all your heart.

Fighting the Meth Demon

Recently, I was troubled as I watched a TV news story on the opioid drug problem. What I learned did not leave me. I thought about all the people I have reached out to in the 24 years I have been a Minister. Faces crossed my mind of many who were drug users. My eyes began to see how wide spread the drug issue is.

What I have learned is a major drug problem around the world has become the number one drug problem in my community, methamphetamine.  Ten years ago the largest drug bust in history took place when law enforcement seized $207 million dollars in cash in a meth raid. And six years ago worldwide seizers of meth increased by 73%. Additionally, the U.S. Sentencing Commission said that meth has produced more offenses than any other drug in 27 states.

The abuse of meth is at pandemic proportions. The other day someone asked me, “Why do people start using meth?” According to one article, the drug seems attractive on the surface by the good feelings it brings. Users feel an instant euphoria, followed by a long high, then feel more energy, extreme confidence, and strong sexual desires. There are many more reasons users are lured in.

It is one of the most dangerous street drugs because it sucks you in then destroys you. It is like a deadly parasite that takes your health, family, livelihood and gives nothing back.  It attacks you physically, rotting your teeth and can collapse your jaw.  Due to hallucinations of a crank bug on your skin, you scar yourself marring your appearance. It not only causes you to be a physical danger to yourself, but to everyone around you.

Every user has a heart problem, not from a medical standpoint but a spiritual one. It is deeper than drugs and something we all have in common. The Scripture says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick . . .” (Jeremiah 17:9). Their heart problem is expressed through drugs, but yours might be shown through sexual immorality or unforgiveness.  Is there a solution to this?  Yes!  Jesus!

Jesus can heal, restore and forgive the sin and brokenness in the heart. He died and rose again from the dead to show us the power He has and what He can do. Let us bring the power of Jesus to every meth addict.

Where do we start? Prayer. Let the meth affected communities call out to Jesus on behalf of their precious sons and daughters. Let grandparents and parents cry out to Jesus for their kids.  Let users themselves look to Jesus for deliverance.

Together, let us say “Enough!” Let’s rise up and fall down on our knees. Let us bring the power of heaven to earth and see Jesus transform meth users into beautiful sons and daughters of a loving and mighty God.