On the Doorstep, But Don't Get to Enter-Part 4

There is purpose for our lives.  We've mentioned that God has a plan for us (in Part 2) and that we should busy ourselves fulfilling His purposes for us in our lives.  That involves working on ourselves, sanctifying our character and conduct to be more like Jesus Christ; to love Him and to love our neighbor as ourselves; and learning that life is precious and we need to become mature and complete in that 'mission' to be more like Him.  All this we do with the help and guidance of God's Holy Spirit.  Now we will see yet another aspect of our purposes on earth. 

The following quotation is taken from page 68 of The Eternal Journey written by Craig R. Lundahl and Harold A. Widdison both sporting Ph.D's.  They say,

"It is quite evident from Near Death Experience (NDE) research that materialism is not one of the purposes of earth life...NDEers become less status conscious and materialistic..."

>  We followers of Jesus Christ are to 

"lay up treasure in heaven where moth doth not eat nor rust corrupt...where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-20). 

Many of us like to shop or torture ourselves with window shopping.  We like things.  Things are nice.  Or we "get into a sport" and learn all the ins and outs of it, buy up all the paraphernalia and play it, watch it (on TV or at the stadium) or talk about it with other like-mined (or not) souls every chance we get.  To some extent that's ok; however if we are obsessed with it we are making it our 'god' becoming 'materialistic' in this sense.   We appear to believe there is no other purpose in the world.



 
Jesus told a parable about the rich man who had such abundance of crops he ordered more barns to be built while he sat back and relaxed, well satisfied with himself and his accumulation (Luke 12:16-21).  He said, "Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."'  He had no regard for anyone but himself.  He is not seen to be helping the hungry and needy.  He is not seen to be asking God what he should do with what he has.  He definitely hadn't thought of his soul and where it would end up.  

"God said to him, 'You fool!  This very night your life will be demanded from you.  Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?"  

His wake up call was coming too late.

The Bible goes on to say,  

"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

By contrast we see the widow who gave her last two mites into the temple treasury (Luke 21:1-4).  Jesus said that she had "put in more than any of the others".  The others were scooping out of their wealth to show off but she out of her poverty.  She gave all she had.  The shame should have been on those wealthy ones.  Why was she in such a degregated situation?  Well, the widow out of her heart for God, out of her "richness towards God", knew where her true treasure was and how to make true treasure.

 
This reminds me of a book I read some time ago by Craig Blomberg called Neither Poverty Nor Riches, the title attuned to Proverbs 30:8.  He makes similar rebukes.

We don't necessarily have to empty our coffers, nor give our resources out to simply anyone and everyone who asks.  There does have to be good stewardship.  Let that stewardship be characterized by, or stem from, our desire to be 'rich towards God'.  Our love for Him and His people and those He directs us to, can be our standard and catalyst  for giving; for relinquishing the hold money and possessions might have on us.  This may help us to overcome materialism.



A chap named John Wesley has a famous saying that goes something as follows (there a several variations to it):

 One of my blog entries entitled Morning Musings-Money Talks, has a lot to say in general about money, obviously, but also about addictions which in my mind relates also to the idea of materialism. Getting, getting, getting with selfish ambition.  Learn to give.  Give from a heart full of "richness towards God".   And so, as the NDEer learned, there is indeed purpose in life which is not materialistic.  Let us pursue good in the name of Jesus, and do it.

                                                                ~ERC  2016~