SCRIPTURE: Luke 12:13-21
God created us to share His blessings.
He richly blesses us, and wants us to richly bless others, even as they richly bless us.
This is the circle of life according to God – each one giving life and love to the other.
In this paradise, no one has to look out for themselves, because they are well looked after.
But our world is not a paradise, and people do look out for themselves.
In fact, our world is the hell that it is because of greed, self-centredness.
Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions, life consists of sharing our possessions.
God shares with us, we share with God and others, others share with us — this is being ‘rich toward God’.
Freely you have received; freely give. (Matthew 10:8)
People who hoard blessings, and spend them on themselves, miss out on the joy of living, the circle of life.
People driven by possessing and consuming become possessed and consumed in the end.
The man in this parable was optimally blessed to experience life to the full… if he shared with others.
Am I consumed by greed, coming to Jesus expecting Him to get me my fair share of the blessing?
Am I possessed by possessions, those I have and those I want to have?
Am I consumed by generosity, possessed by charity, eager to freely share what I have freely received?
Am I rich in God, toward God, like God?
Am I sacrificing my life to get blessing, or sacrificing my life to give blessing?
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
God, I am not yet consumed by generosity nor possessed by charity. I am still holding on too tight to what I consider ‘mine’. I want to live life to the full, like You!
Observation/Application
Possessions. Stuff.
The first half of one’s life we strive to obtain and the second half we strive to get rid of it. Life is not a gathering of things but a sharing. Daily we thank God for His blessings in our prayers but we/I need to be a blessing to others for that is what God’s gifts are intended – to be used and not abused. All is from the Lord and with nothing I came into the world and with nothing I will leave this place. From start to finish, how was my servanthood with ‘my master’s garden?’ He put me in charge with the gifts received and I used them how?
I am not my own but belong to Him and that must determine my actions in all things – including my possessions. The only riches that are everlasting is being a member of His family – a child of the king.
He said freely freely
You have received
Freely freely give
Go in My name
And because you believe
Others will know that I live
Verse 1
God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name
I’ve been born again in Jesus’ name
And in Jesus’ name I come to you
To share His love as He told me to
Verse 2
All pow’r is giv’n in Jesus’ name
In earth and heav’n in Jesus’ name
And in Jesus’ name I come to you
To share His pow’r as He told me to