GUARD YOURSELF FROM COVETOUSNESS

Image

And He said to them, Guard yourselves and keep free from all covetousness (the immoderate desire for wealth, the greedy longing to have more); for a man’s life does not consist in and is not derived from possessing overflowing abundance or that which is over and above his needs.

Then He told them a parable, saying, The land of a rich man was fertile and yielded plentifully.

And he considered and debated within himself, What shall I do? I have no place [in which] to gather together my harvest.

And he said, I will do this: I will pull down my storehouses and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain or produce and my goods.

And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many good things laid up, [enough] for many years. Take your ease; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself merrily.

But God said to him, You fool! This very night they [the messengers of God] will demand your soul of you; and all the things that you have prepared, whose will they be?
LUKE 12:15-21 (AMPC)

From the story that Jesus gave above, we saw that the rich man did not stay alive to enjoy all he had acquired or amassed. Why? Because he could not predict the length of his life nor did he know what tomorrow held for him. So we are, we can not predict tomorrow.

When planning for our retirement and preparing for life before death is not a bad decision at all, but neglecting life after death is dangerous and disastrous.

If we amass and accumulate wealth only to enrich ourselves and our families, with no concern for helping others, we will enter eternity empty handed.

Let us learn to share. If you have clothes/things for instance you have not used for over six months and you see a sister/brother wearing same dress/having need without you doing something about it, then examine yourself of covetousness. You can extend a hand of fellowship to him/her. You don't wait for him/her to beg first before giving. Neither do you advertise your giving for people to praise you.

Jesus adviced that we think/look beyond earthly achievements and focus more on spiritual achievements so that we can use what we have to advance God's Kingdom.

Faith, service, and obedience are the ways to become rich towards God.

Beloved, as children of God, just as Jesus said in the above scriptures that our lives does not consist of how much wealth or possessions we have been able to acquire.

Wealth and possessions are good but our lives should not be dependent on them.

As we all know that money can buy us medicine, but not health, good living, but not life, food but not appetite, etc.

So we need to be on guard against greed (desire for what we don't have).

Our understanding and what is in vogue is that, acquiring more and more expensive things will make us happier, more comfortable and more fulfilled.

But you discover that the more you acquire, the more unfulfilled you are. Once you attained a level, the desire for the next level becomes a burden. It continues, endlessly

Let us concentrate instead on the truly fulfilled life. That is, living in a relationship with God and doing His work.

May our lives yield increase, may we lay treasures in heaven and may we truly be fulfilled in life as we take heed and avoid covetousness in Jesus name.

Stay BLESSED!!!