Everything I need

A man in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide with me the property our father left us.’

Jesus answered him, ‘My friend, who gave me the right to judge or to divide the property between you two?’ And he went on to say to them all, ‘Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed; because your true life is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich he may be.’ (verses 13-15)

Read Luke 12:13-21

The parable of the rich fool (verses 16-20) tells how a man spent his entire life accumulating wealth, then died in his sleep before he was able to enjoy it. Does the first bit sound like your life today, or like the lives of those around you? Do you spend your life accumulating wealth?

Our society thrives on double incomes, working mothers, two- or three-car families, consumable products. Where does it end? When is enough enough? Do you ever sit back and say, ‘Now I am satisfied. I have everything I need’?

Jesus warns, ‘Guard yourselves from every kind of greed, because a person’s true life is not made up of the things he owns’. His warning is as true today as it was two thousand years ago. You cannot buy your way to heaven. Isn’t it time to start concentrating on the things that really count? To build up your relationship with the Lord? To get to know the source of all your wealth? For if you do, the rewards are more than you could ever imagine.

Heavenly Father, thank you for my earthly riches. However, help me to rely on you for my happiness and not on the things you have given me. Amen.

by Kathy Hoopman, in ‘Renewed Hope for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2000)

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