“’Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?’
Jeremiah 22:15-16
“Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.”
Luke 12:33-34
“Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.”
Acts 2:45
Americans love stuff. I love the Veggie Tale video called “Madame Blueberry”. In it Madame Blueberry becomes obsessed with getting more and more stuff. She is very sad and buys a lot of stuff thinking that will make her happy. Of course, it does not. The point of this children’s video is clear, but we adults could learn from Madame Blueberry also. As Christians, our perspective on stuff should be different from non-Christians. This is a hard lesson for me. I constantly struggle with shop-a-mania. It is in my blood. In Jeremiah, Acts and Luke though, the point is very clear. We are to love God more and be willing to give anything to someone in need. Jesus said that the poor will always be with us, but we cannot use that as an excuse to overlook them. God does not need our money or things, but I need to give it. It is a lesson in action that I need to constantly practice. Otherwise, I get caught up in the worldly view of things. Luke 12:32 points out the main reason we should be giving to the poor. We should treasure Jesus more than anything, and He gave His very life. Pray for a heart of compassion towards those in need. Ask God to show you what you can give and to whom you can minister.
Life in Paris aka Life with Brown Dog 