I Bought the Lie

Everywhere I go from the smallest community - to the big city, I see storage rental units. What does it say about society when we do not have enough room in our homes to store all our stuff, so we fill up rental storage units. Our possessions wield a remarkable power over us. They give us a false sense of security and an inflated sense of worth. They promise freedom yet they only enslave us. We think that if we just had that one thing our heart desires we would be happy, so we put in the extra hours at work, to come up with the money we need to buy that thing that we think will make us happy. Then for some reason we think we need something more and we start the cycle all over again. We aren't really bad people, we attend church, we are morally upright in all that we do, we treat others with respect. In the book of Mark Jesus tells us about the rich young ruler. In many ways, the rich young ruler was a model of faithfulness. He was sexually pure, honest and trustworthy with his words and money, respected his parents, and studied the Bible. If he had grown up in my church, he would have been on the fast track to Christian leadership! And yet, the only reason we know anything about this man is because of his inability to follow Jesus in every area of his life. Mark 10:21 ESV And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. We are told that Jesus looked on this man and loved him deeply. Jesus wants nothing less than your whole heart, the whole of who you are. What is it in your life that you think you just can't live without? The rich young ruler loved his possessions so much that he couldn't turn loose of them. He was possessed by his possessions! The core of our being, our heart, is where our deepest desires, motivations, and values reside, and therefore, what occupies that space significantly influences our actions and life choices. Maybe it is stuff, but maybe it is something else. What holds the key to your heart? You may say well I don't have so much stuff that I am filling a storage unit, so possessions are not a problem for me. Well possessions are not the only thing that could fill your heart. Maybe you spend your time following the activities of your children or grand children. Maybe the focus of your heart is on food, maybe it is on camping or some other hobby. While none of these things are evil or are sinful, when you place them before God they become idols. The one thing Jesus was asking of the rich ruler was not a life lived perfectly, but a heart of perfect surrender. Complete surrender letting go of anything pulling him away from God. Proverbs 4:23 ESV Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Have you bought the lie of the world, He who has the most stuff in the end wins? What are the things that currently hold the most space in your heart? Are you intentionally cultivating a heart that is filled with compassion, love and forgiveness? Are there any areas of your life where you need to actively choose to let go of negativity and allow God's love to fill the space? Maybe your heart is not filled with how many possessions you have or even with activities, maybe your heart is filled with grudges, anxiety or worry. Negativity can fill you heart just the same as possessions. Consider what might be possessing your heart right now – possessions, anxieties, worries, grudges, or is it positive passions like love for family, serving others, or pursuing your faith. Pray for strength to guard your heart and to let God's love fully inhabit your life. Let this be your prayer. Everything I have. Everything I own.