Possessed By Your Possessions
“Then he 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
If you are a believer, you might be familiar with the hymn of the church written by Johnson Oatman Jr. in 1897. The opening stanza goes, “When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it twill surprise what the Lord has done.”
It is a wonderful hymn about remembering to number the ways in which God has been there for us, rather than allowing the weight of our worries to overwhelm us. Many people may struggle with the idea of taking inventory of their blessings because they tend to view blessings through the prism of the world.
The world tends to equate blessings with physical things, material items that can be measured, toughed by the hands, and seen by the eyes. But the best blessings are not always based upon material, tangible realities we can see. The best blessings are spiritual, intangible things we cannot see.
You can live in a big house, drive a nice car, and be nervous because you can’t afford to pay the note. You can have a big bed and be unable to sleep at night. So while blessings can include the material, they are much bigger than that. You are blessed when you are no longer possessed by your possessions. You are blessed when the things you have don’t have you.
The foundational and fundamental truth of our faith is that, in Christ, we have been made free—free from the grip of sin, free from fear, free from anger, confusion, addiction, and self-destructive habits. In a real sense, this is what I think Paul is referencing when he says that in Christ we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing because when you are no longer shackled by sin, gripped by anger, in bondage to addiction, and liberated from self-destructive habits, you are blessed.
Do you find yourself possessed by your possessions? Do you count your blessings by the things you physically own? If so, you probably still long for more. If you want to find contentment, don’t chase material things. Instead, seek faith in God, peace in Jesus, and love for Him and those around you. I promise you will consider yourself much more blessed when you do.
If you are a believer, you might be familiar with the hymn of the church written by Johnson Oatman Jr. in 1897. The opening stanza goes, “When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it twill surprise what the Lord has done.”
It is a wonderful hymn about remembering to number the ways in which God has been there for us, rather than allowing the weight of our worries to overwhelm us. Many people may struggle with the idea of taking inventory of their blessings because they tend to view blessings through the prism of the world.
The world tends to equate blessings with physical things, material items that can be measured, toughed by the hands, and seen by the eyes. But the best blessings are not always based upon material, tangible realities we can see. The best blessings are spiritual, intangible things we cannot see.
You can live in a big house, drive a nice car, and be nervous because you can’t afford to pay the note. You can have a big bed and be unable to sleep at night. So while blessings can include the material, they are much bigger than that. You are blessed when you are no longer possessed by your possessions. You are blessed when the things you have don’t have you.
The foundational and fundamental truth of our faith is that, in Christ, we have been made free—free from the grip of sin, free from fear, free from anger, confusion, addiction, and self-destructive habits. In a real sense, this is what I think Paul is referencing when he says that in Christ we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing because when you are no longer shackled by sin, gripped by anger, in bondage to addiction, and liberated from self-destructive habits, you are blessed.
Do you find yourself possessed by your possessions? Do you count your blessings by the things you physically own? If so, you probably still long for more. If you want to find contentment, don’t chase material things. Instead, seek faith in God, peace in Jesus, and love for Him and those around you. I promise you will consider yourself much more blessed when you do.
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