My storehouse is full

“Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.” Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” (Luke 12:13-21)

We can all be so 'into ourselves' that we totally miss being there to help another when they are standing right there in front of us. It is truly a sad thing to be so caught up in this thing we call the 'making of a man' that we miss each other's needs. Jesus' clear warning is to guard our hearts and minds against such greed. Greed doesn't just happen - it is an attitude of the heart that comes from continual rehearsal in our minds of the desire to get or be 'more'. Our attitude of heart determines the actions we take, but we can use our actions to act as an indicator of our 'heart's attention and desire'. We might focus on our assets, but God focuses on our attitude. 

Some individuals think they are 'worth more' or can 'do more' because they have huge assets available to them. I think Jesus was challenging us to consider something that has absolutely nothing to do with our assets. He wanted us to see what a right heart can do in terms of meeting the needs of our community, not just a huge amount of wealth. Sometimes we think we have nothing to offer, or very little, because we are comparing ourselves to someone we think has 'more'. As Jesus said, we can amass much in the way of earthly wealth but be so emotionally and spiritually 'bankrupt' in the end. The more we allow Jesus to truly touch the chords of our heart, changing the way we think or look at the world's 'assets', the more we will find ways to share ourselves with others.

The main thing Jesus focused on so many times as he taught was the need for a rich relationship with God. We might not believe there is much 'value' in this deep, ongoing and vital relationship, but God's presence within us makes our hearts full to overflowing. A silo or barn can store up 'things' but a heart in tune with God can store up and GIVE OUT the blessings of God's grace and love. It would be foolish to count upon the filled silo or barn and neglect the one 'storehouse' that God focuses on so intently - the heart. Just sayin!