Last night, as I was writing the previous blog entry, I felt things were a bit “off.” I knew what I wanted to say, but had no idea how to say it. Alas, I wrote what I did because those feelings were weighing on my mind, and I said it as best as I could.
Then, this morning, I listened to a podcast from Third Reformed Church titled “The Journey from Greed to Contentment.”
The sermon starts with the passage from Luke 12:13-21. Specifically, “The Parable of the Rich Fool.” I was completely put at peace! Especially since just last night, I wrote about my worries and the importance of putting faith and love before our ideal of success: money, which can lead to greed. Then, I listen to this podcast and God has provided me scripture to help me with this issue. It’s truly awe-some. Thank you Third Reformed Church for this message!
It talks about how greed isn’t focused on the present, it’s always looking toward attaining more and more in the future. That it is never satisified because it’s constantly seeking more. And since the future regards the unknown, it brings fear, which is why it doesn’t bring peace or contentment. (Exactly what I was trying to say, had no idea how to express it.) Later on in Luke, the verse 12:34 says, “For where your treasure is, your heart will be also.” What you put in the highest regard is what you will seek; what will ultimately rule your life and what you will attract from others.
Here are the verses:
” 13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then 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.”
16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ‘
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.”
You can download Third Reformed Church’s semons online or on iTunes!
Kirbie Johnson 