October 11

Our Possessions

And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” — Luke 12:15 BSB

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. — 1 John 5:21 BSB

The request made to Christ in this passage—that He divide an inheritance—has been echoed through the ages. People are always asking for a fairer division of wealth. But Christ didn’t come to settle these matters by force. Instead, He dealt with the deeper issues of greed and discontent. In the petitioner’s request, Jesus saw the same spirit of covetousness that led the other brother to withhold the inheritance.

Christ proclaimed a profound truth: life is not defined by what we own, but by who we are. We are truly rich not by the money we accumulate, but by the purity, strength, and generosity of our character. When we store up wealth for ourselves, we become poor in God’s eyes. The only way to combat greed is to see our possessions as gifts entrusted to us for the good of others. Let us mortify the spirit of greed within us by sowing the seeds of generosity, as Paul encourages in 2 Corinthians 9:1-15.

Many people also make idols of physical pleasures (Philippians 3:19). Eating, drinking, and seeking entertainment can become gods before whom many bow. But whenever any earthly thing absorbs our hearts and minds, diverting our love and faith away from God, it becomes an idol that must be destroyed. However, when we can look up from our possessions and thank God for them, recognizing them as gifts from His hand, we can use and enjoy them without fear. We are less likely to idolize what we acknowledge as blessings from our Heavenly Father (1 Timothy 4:4-5).

Prayer

O Lord, our Portion and Inheritance, grant us the grace never to desire anything apart from You. Give us what we can enjoy in You, and deny us what would lead us away from You. Amen.