“But God made us for friendship — with Himself first and then with others. So when these two kinds of friendship are missing or lacking, a void is left in our hearts that nothing but love from God and others can fill.”- Bob Merritt
Then [Jesus] said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”- Luke 12:15 (NIV)
In Chapter 10 (“Fewer Possessions, More People”) of Done With That, Bob Merritt asks the following question. Is anything your possess beginning to possess you? Certainly, we want things that fulfill us and bring us happiness. Yet our possessions – inanimate objects – can never deliver the joy and peace Jesus offers.
Furthermore, Pastor Merritt observes, we bounce from one purchase to another to sustain the high provided by acquiring something new. As a result, we risk missing the new life God’s planned for us.
However, it’s easy to buy into the lie that the person who dies with the most toys wins. As author Brant Hansen points out, we can’t allow earthly goods to dictate our emotions and control our minds. Because we look to them to make us happy and whole. In Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better, Brant writes:
“The lie, for most of us, is that we’ll ‘get there,’ that we’ll somehow, someday, make it to a point where that thing, that whatever, that we think we need to be secure, is finally ours, and we won’t be threatened anymore. But there is no ‘there.’ ”
Instead, Pastor Merritt exhorts, rejoice in the little joys and pleasures of this day. And just as people always matter to Jesus, they should matter to us as well. Rather than love our things and use people, Bob counsels, we need to love people and use things.
Today’s question: What Bible verses help you to seek friendship with God first? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Naked truth – the need to confront”
