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Luke 9: 58 (NIV)
Jesus replied, “Foxes
have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to
lay his head.”
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| The Bible does not glorify poverty, nor uphold it as a superior way of life.* |
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I
have some friends who suffered a severe financial setback a few years ago.
Their faith in God’s provision never wavered but as I observed their struggles,
I also learned something about our society: we have a distorted view of the
essentials – the things we think we can’t live without. It seems safe to say
that food, clothing, and shelter are necessities. My friends, for all their
troubles, were never hungry, naked, or homeless. And yet, I was moved to pray
for them as they juggled expenses for transportation (vehicles, fuel);
electricity; cell phones; school and sports activities; cable TV; insurance;
maintaining a standard of living.
Possessions
weren’t important to Jesus and yet he had abundant life. He didn’t concern
himself about shelter and the associated costs. He never preached austerity as a mandatory lifestyle for his followers but he did have a lot to
say about priorities. He set an example of how we should view things.
How
important are your things? Imagine that your house is on fire and you have time
to grab up only your most precious possessions. Assuming that your family has
safely evacuated the building, what will you take with you? What if Jesus made
a list of all the things you would have to give up in order to follow him –
what items would you be hoping he would let you keep? Picture yourself
surrounded by these prized possessions as you spend eternity in hell. Ready to
prioritize?
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| Pilgrims travel light.* |
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