what does it mean to be rich towards god
Scripture – Luke 12:15-21 (NRSV)
And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your baby-sit against all kinds of greed; for ane'due south life does non consist in the affluence of possessions." Then he told them a parable: "The country of a rich human produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, 'What should I practise, for I take no identify to store my crops?' And then he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I volition store all my grain and my appurtenances. And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you take ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, exist merry.' Just God said to him, 'Y'all fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose volition they be?' So it is with those who shop upwardly treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."
Focus
Jesus tells us to exist on guard confronting greed. Real life does not consist of the affluence of possessions. Rather, it'southward beingness "rich toward God." This kind of wealth is not something we hoard for ourselves, but something we share generously with others. When we put our hope in God rather than in riches, and when we give freely to those in need, then we are able to experience "the life that really is life."
Today's devotion is office of the serial Post-obit Jesus Today.
Devotion
Our passage today begins with a alarm: "Have care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for ane'due south life does not consist in the abundance of possessions" (Luke 12:15). Surely that discussion of circumspection is every bit relevant now as it was 2,000 years ago, if not fifty-fifty more so. In our consumeristic guild, information technology's tempting to believe deep down that life really does "consist in the affluence of possessions." Nosotros tin find ourselves envious of those who have more or amend things than nosotros exercise. We can fifty-fifty measure our self-worth by our stuff. But Jesus says, "Watch out for this! It will hurt yous."
Following his word of warning, Jesus told his audition a parable about a rich farmer. One twelvemonth, the farmer had an abundant harvest, more than he could store in his barns. And then he decided to tear down his existing barns and build larger ones. Then he would exist able to say to himself, "Soul, you take ample goods laid upwardly for many years; relax, eat, potable, be merry" (Luke 12:19). But God had bad news for the rich farmer: "Yous fool! This very night your life is being demanded of y'all. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?" Jesus wrapped upwardly his lesson past concluding, "Then it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are non rich toward God" (12:21).
How do you respond to Jesus's teaching here? I must confess that, at first, I'm puzzled. I hateful, wasn't the farmer acting wisely? He had a harvest besides big for his barns so he built larger ones to store his grain. Wasn't that sensible? Suppose, for example, that one year your income is much greater than usual for some legitimate reason. What would you practise? Wouldn't you be wise to put more into savings? Wouldn't that exist better than spending it all right abroad? Isn't Jesus being likewise hard on the rich farmer?
The more I reflect on this parable and what Jesus said nearly it, notwithstanding, the more than I'm able to become what I believe Jesus was teaching. Notice, for case, how the farmer talked to himself. In particular, observe the abundance of personal pronouns: "What should I do, for I accept no identify to shop my crops? . . . I volition do this: I will pull downwardly my barns and build larger ones, and at that place I volition store all my grain and my goods." This man's language reveals something sad about the state of his soul. For him, it's all nigh himself. The crops are his. The barns are his. The grain and goods are his. He shows no show of seeing any of these things equally God'south blessings, God's gifts. The farmer appears not to believe what we find in Psalm 24:i, "The globe is the LORD's and all that is in information technology, the earth, and those who alive in it."
Jesus said that the farmer who stored up treasures for himself was not "rich toward God" (Luke 12:21). What would being "rich toward God" entail? There are many means to respond this question. But the dissimilarity in verse 21 is betwixt saving your treasures for yourself and existence rich toward God. This suggests that richness in God'southward management is a matter, not of saving up for yourself, but rather of giving away generously to others. In Jesus'south parable, the rich farmer had a bountiful harvest. It's highly unlikely that he did all of the farming by himself. Rather, he had others who worked for him, who helped to produce such a compensation. Yet, the farmer did non consider sharing any of the backlog with them. Nor did it occur to him that at that place may well have been people in his town who were poor and in need of nutrient. The farmer showed absolutely no inclination to be generous. Rather, information technology was all for him and all virtually him.
Jesus'south parable in Luke 12 reminds me of a passage in one Timothy where it says, "Equally for those who in the present historic period are rich, command them not to exist haughty, or to set up their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, only rather on God who richly provides u.s.a. with everything for our enjoyment. They are to practice skilful, to exist rich in skilful works, generous, and prepare to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the hereafter, so that they may take concord of the life that really is life" (1 Timothy half dozen:17-nineteen). The foolish farmer in Jesus's parallel got everything incorrect. He set his hopes on the incertitude of riches rather than God. He was not generous or ready to share. Rather he stored upwardly treasures for himself. In the stop, he missed out on "the life that really is life."
From a positive perspective, this passage from 1 Timothy teaches us office of what information technology means to exist "rich toward God." Information technology involves, first of all, setting our hopes on God rather than our possessions. We put our confidence in that which is truly reliable. And so, nosotros are to be "rich in good works," especially by being "generous, and ready to share." Thus we are storing up for ourselves, non our riches, but our enshroud of time to come heavenly rewards.
Moreover, in the present day, we are able to "take concur of the life that really is life." This is the life of trusting God, recognizing that all we have comes from God's hand. It is the life of generosity, sharing freely and unselfishly with those in need. Information technology is the life of rewarding and empowering others besides as caring for those in need. It is the life that's not "all about me," but rather "all most serving God and others in God'south proper noun." Information technology is the life of deepest meaning, deepest gratitude, and deepest love.
Reflect
To what extent are you tempted to mensurate your value by your possessions?
In what ways are yous "rich toward God"?
Practice you lot find it piece of cake or hard to be generous? Why?
When you lot retrieve of "the life that really is life," what comes to mind?
Human activity
One tangible style to be "rich toward God" is by giving generously to those in need. You may already exist doing this. But, if you're like me, sometimes you need a nudge to remind you. So, this could be your nudge. If the Lord puts it on your heart, give today to aid those who are hungry. You may have a local church or trustworthy charity that you back up. (For many years I take supported Globe Vision, including their Hunger Relief Fund, because I trust their vision and their stewardship.)
Pray
Lord Jesus, cheers for warning u.s. not to exist greedy. It tin be easy for the states to fall into believing that life does exist in the abundance of possessions. Forgive u.s., Lord, for letting the love of stuff have and then much power in our lives.
Teach us, Lord, how to be "rich toward God." In detail, may we acquire to be generous with others, giving freely and joyfully some of what yous have entrusted to u.s.a.. Help us to think that, in the cease, all things belong to God, not only our things, merely also ourselves.
By your grace, may we take hold of the life that really is life, a life of giving, a life of service, a life of liberty, a life of tangible honey. Amen.
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Find all Life for Leaders devotions hither. Explore what the Bible has to say nigh work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Piece of work Project. Commentary on today's Life for Leaders theme can exist found hither: Business organisation for the Wealthy (Luke vi:25; 12:13-21; eighteen:18-30)
Source: https://depree.org/be-rich-toward-god/
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