Evening

May 11

Luke 12:15,20-21 ¹⁵Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

²⁰"But 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?' ²¹"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

Greed comes in many forms. It is one of the most destructive driving forces of this world. Since Jesus has called us out of the world, greed should not affect our decisions. As we are not yet made perfect, there is the temptation to allow greed back into our hearts. The whole advertising industry is geared toward provoking all kinds of greed. Their goal is to get you to believe that life consists of what you possess. They tout happiness as possession of their products.

Jesus illustrated His point with a parable. A rich man had a great harvest. He did not have enough room to store it, so he decided to build bigger barns. He thought that for years he could live in luxury and enjoy life, but God knew he was about to die. What happens to all that wealth then? There is an end for every man and woman. You have never seen a moving van behind a hearse. What you take with you is your character and your relationship with God. To live for the temporal things of this life is to be a fool.

Are you rich toward God? If your focus is eternity, greed will not be able to work its way back into your heart. Is there something you think you must possess? Ask yourself if it will help you be rich toward God or if it is greed in disguise. Set your heart on things above and not on things of the earth.

Consider: How can I become increasingly rich toward God?