Here’s a timely reminder for all of us who live in materialistic societies. :-)
Don’t Buy Stuff – a blog entry from Heavenly Homemakers
Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
I think that it is very interesting that the eyes are mentioned in the same context as the laying up of treasures. How often our eyes get us into trouble when it comes to coveting things!
(This alone is a good reason not to watch television or subscribe to magazines that are full of advertisements, by the way.)
The Western world is full of the idea that if you want it then you should have it, yea, you even deserve it. Those who desire to serve God must fight this temptation and urging of society because we cannot serve God and the lust of things at the same time. They are incompatible - as darkness and light.
1Timothy 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
In this spirit of this I also suggest you read this post at my dad’s blog: What Are You Holding Onto?
1John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Notice that “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” That is a powerful statement and something we ought to take much to heart. After all, this world is so temporary. It “passeth away” (present tense – it is in the process of doing so continuously, in case you hadn’t noticed). And, it is all going to burn according to 2Peter 3:11-12, Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
I wonder how often we remember that the will of God for us is to “love not the world”? We get so caught up with the things of this life sometimes that I’m afraid we tend to forget that.
Hmmm…I am wondering how to implement this. Maybe writing “Love not the world” across my wallet in permanent ink would be a good reminder. :-) Putting a sticky note on the credit/debit card with this on it might help too.
What are your ideas?
Thanks Mary! Just what I needed to hear.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
~V~
I'm glad it helped, V! :-) I need to think about this myself as it is so easy to fall into focusing on *things* when life is not going just how I'd like. I have read about how buying things tends to give us a good feeling and we can end up using that to make ourselves feel better. It's a poor substitute for God.
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