Daily D – Luke 12:21

by David Bowman | Oct 16, 2023 | Daily D | 0 comments

Luke 12:21
“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” (NLT)

“That’s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God.” (MSG)

—

Greed plays Gotcha with your soul. Going green is akin to stealing. It takes more than its share and robs a heart of generosity and compassion.

Jesus was invited to an argument (verses 13, 14). He refused to get involved in the dispute between the two brothers. This is a good habit to develop. Instead, he provided a lesson for everyone, including the two brothers if they were willing to listen.

Greed is not good, he said.

Then he told a story about a rich man who became richer. His life so abundantly overflowed that he didn’t have room for all the blessings. That’s when he decided to build bigger containers and to “Eat, drink, and be merry!” (verse 19).

Then he died.

Then there was an issue of dividing up his estate. Who got what and how much? His own greed led to greedy grabbing by others.

A rich heart toward God would have helped the rich man see that his generational wealth could be used to provide compassionate care and benevolence along with investment in the kinds of assistance that help people get on their feet and live productive lives.

We can greedily use our resources to enrich ourselves or we can use our overflowing resources to enrich the lives of others. Whichever manner we choose to live, we model that lifestyle for others. Those who observe our character in action will in some measure decide how they form their own character.

Consider today if your lifestyle leads people along the path of generosity or greed. Adjust as necessary.

Remember Jesus’ bottom line: “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” Or, as The Message puts it, “That’s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God.”

Honorably earning wealth is good. It makes good things possible. It empowers us to live generously. A rich relationship with God keeps our perspective on wealth pure and purposeful.

—

I will live a life of rich generosity.

—

Our Father, you have enriched many Americans like me far beyond kings of old. As you bless us with so much, make us an ever-greater blessing to others. Fill our hearts with compassion, our minds with wisdom, and our hands with gifts that build better lives. Give us Kingdom kindness. Deliver us from greedily grabbing for more. Amen.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

CONNECT WITH ME!

Interested in learning more about Church Unique or Life Younique? Send a note through the Get In Touch box or Message me through the Facebook link above.

GET IN TOUCH!

READ MY BLOG!

Daily D – Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Deuteronomy 30:19, 20 “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

Daily D – Deuteronomy 29:29

Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.”

Daily D – Deuteronomy 26:16-19

Deuteronomy 26:16-19 “The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to him. And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.”

Daily D – Deuteronomy 23:4-5

Deuteronomy 23:4, 5 “For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you. However, the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you.”

Daily D – Deuteronomy 17:16-20

Deuteronomy 17:16-20 The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.

When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. It is to be with him, and **he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left.** Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.