So for those of you that have followed along through the first two parts, this one may sting a bit. We started of by asking the question “Why don’t we?” Then we got into the why: Idolatry and Pride leads to God letting us go and saying “If that is what you really want then you can go and chase your desires.” So now we come to what I call the hard part and that is do we really realize we have idols and pride and if we do realize it how deep is it truly ingrained in us. We will spend a good amount of time looking at transient treasures and their affects on our lives. This will be the longest part to date so let us dive in:
For this part we will need a definition of a word and thanks to dictionary.com I have it for you so here is the word:
Transient
1. Not lasting, enduring, or permanent; transitory
2. Lasting only a short time; existing briefly; temporary
3. Staying only a short time
Matthew 6:19-21
Matthew is our focal passage for this lesson as we take a look at what transient goods will eventually become. In these verses, the writer wants us to not put our hearts into things that will rust or fade away or be stolen from us.
II Cor 4:16-18
This passage relates the same as of the previous passage. This passage shows us that what we have as our bodies, what we can see will eventually fade away…transient. While those things do fade however, it is our heart that can continue to grow towards our desires. Now keep in mind that thought…if our desires are of our idols then what will our heart grow too and vise versa if our hearts are in tune with God then where will we be?
Psalms 49:16-17
This passage talks about us as people not worrying about what is going on around them. Don’t worry that your neighbor’s “glory” is increasing because he has a bigger house or his car is now the newest thing out. When he dies the glory he attains here and the wealth he has attained will not go with him. (Transient)
Proverbs 23:4-6
Do not over work yourself to become wealthy because as mentioned many times before wealth is gone in the blink of an eye. We shouldn’t worry about how other people view us. The speaker made a point we are all guilty of “If you spend money on stuff you really can’t afford and actually don’t need then your treasure storage is here!”
We shouldn’t spend so much time making everything look so perfect on the outside when it really isn’t on the inside. A church, our friends, and our families should be places where we can be seen as we are. I mean if we are really in pain why hide it, if you need help we need to seek it. How many times myself as well as I am sure some of you reading has it tore you up inside because things are so bad and yet you keep them inside. This breeds more trouble and more till eventually you hit a state where you don’t care about anything…maybe even life itself. I am so guilty of that last line myself and though I know I cant change my whole world in one day, I too have made a dedication that I will work as hard as possible to let God control that part of my life and the only way I know how to do that is not being involved in my decision making process at all…figure that one out!
Luke 12:12-14
If you see a brother in need, sell something you own and fill that need. Ok now think this one through before the ruffled feathers start to kick in. The writer is not saying sell all you have and give everything till you are poor yourself. What Luke is saying is that if you have no money yourself but have possessions you can do without (And yes cable and internet, no matter how much even I believe I need them are not possessions I need) then sell them or get rid of them and help the brother in need.
This is the hardest thing we would have to accomplish as people. No one wants to give up their modern conveniences just so someone else who we feel could do better at managing their lives can eat a meal. Here is food for thought though: If the Holy Spirit tells you to give, then you give period! It is not our job to judge or monitor what they do with the money, that is the Holy Spirits job and if we follow what it directs us to do then we are storing up as Luke put it money bags that can not fade away. (Treasures in heaven) Now some of you are saying, how do I know it is the Holy Spirit? For those of us who are saved, you will know. You can not allow yourself to block the Spirit. I am as guilty as some of you in being pig headed about such things but the fact is when I don’t follow the guidance of the Spirit I am giving into the idolatry and pride of myself and saying to God I can do things on my own without His help. Now next time you decide you aren’t going to do the “right” thing because what you want to believe they will misuse your gift, think about that…when you say no to them your saying no to God, sleep well my friend!
Matthew 6:18-24
And we are back to where we started. As a college student now I have always noticed that when a teacher repeats things over and over again, it must be important and even apart of the test that is upcoming…Take a look readers! Six passages and many more in here I can assure you on the fact that we do not need to put our thoughts and beliefs in the transient things of the world because they will soon be gone. How many of you are still driving your first car you ever purchased? (That is for you older ones out there) For that matter how many of those vehicles if your still driving them is in perfect shape? There is wear and tear on those things because they are transient, they are fading away to nothingness and will be gone and then you will be back at the beginning all over again. Now I know what you are all saying “how does this solve the questions from last week?” Look a little closer, what this lesson does is show you the truth in your life. We all worry about the image as others perceive us…you’re doing it now! So yes you have something idolized in your heart right now! Your pride has blocked you from seeing it! So that means you have allowed God to pull away because you are chasing those desires. In the last verse of this passage it states you can not serve two Masters. If you love one you will hate the other and vise versa. You can not love serve both God and money, time to choose. This is a powerful passage to take in, due to the fact that it makes you feel awkward about your life to date. On the other hand it is also showing you there is that problem.
This passage has left me with a bitter taste in my mouth because as I type these words to all of you I become more and more aware of my own problems. I can not remember the last time I gave of myself for nothing more than to make someone’s life just a little less stressful. I complain because I don’t have the right shampoo because I was too lazy to go get some when I was out or when my friends don’t want to go places because they want to save a little money. I believe honestly that I am more selfish and fixed on idols than anyone I know. We do still have 3 more parts to go, and to be honest if I feel this bad going into the last few parts, where am I going to be when this is done? That is the Holy Spirit revealing to me what I need to get my life on track. Let me say that when we pray to God, he does want to know our needs but what does He want to talk about? He wants to talk about getting our lives on track with Him so we can be used for His Glory. So we can handle the things in life that feel out of our range. To store up bags of money that can not fade away. I am sure a lot of questions pop in your mind and a lot of angry emotions to what I am writing are coming out but I will leave you with a thought: It is not the Billy Grahams of the world that will make the hugest impact into the lives of those suffering around the world, it is each and every one of us who clear our hearts and set our minds on the face of God.
Part 4 is just around the corner…feel free to comment.
2 comments:
I'm not gonna lie..I didn't read it. However I did enjoy all the pretty text colors!
Hello all of my children. I am finally returning to Nick's and my site after a long battle with illness. I thank you my brother Nick for your continued devotion to our faithful followers. I have noticed that during my prolonged absence that your words have become less transparent and have been reinforced through scripture. I appreciate the directness of your words during this period and apologize for not being available to properly decipher your words for our followers. I like that you have changed the colors on our site, and I am prepared to devote more attention to it in the future. I love you my dear brother and have missed you terribly.
Jim
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