Our Possessions

“Take heed, and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses.” – Luke 12:15

“Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” – 1 John 5:21

The petition addressed to Christ, in this paragraph from which our text is selected, has been constantly made to Him in subsequent ages. Men are always demanding that He should divide the inheritance more equally. But our Lord did not come to adjust human relationships by the exercise of His absolute will. He deals rather with the overreaching and grasping desire which leads the wealthy to withhold, and the discontent which compels the poor to murmur. He saw in the demand of the petitioner a tendency to the same covetousness which prompted the other brother to withhold the portion of the inheritance, which was not justly his.

Our Lord announced the far-reaching truth that life does not consist in what we possess, but in what we are. We are rich, not in proportion to the amount of our money, or our property, but to the purity, strength, and generosity of our nature. When we lay up treasure for ourselves, we become poor in God’s universe. The only way of dealing with covetousness, which makes an idol of money or possessions, is to regard our possessions only as gifts entrusted to us for the benefit of others. Let us subdue the spirit of greed, which is so strong within us all, by sowing the acreage of our life as shown in 2 Corinthians 9:1-15.

Sensual appetite is an idol with many (Philippians 3:19). Eating and drinking, feasting and pleasure-seeking are idols before which many bow. And there are other idols than these, for whenever any earthly object controls our soul, and intercepts the love and faith that should pass from us to God, it is an idol which must be overthrown. Whenever we can look up from anything that we possess into the face of God, and thank Him as its Giver, we may use and enjoy it without fear. We are not likely to make an idol of that which we receive direct from the hand of our Heavenly Father, whose good pleasure it is to give good gifts to His children (James 1:17).

PRAYER

O Lord, the Portion of our Inheritance, give us grace we pray, never to aim at or desire anything apart from You. What we can enjoy in You, give us according to Your Will; what we cannot, deny us. AMEN.

By F B Meyer, Our Daily Walk (available to read free online)