With all the holiday ads popping up everywhere, I somehow feel reminded of a time when things–or should I say the love of things–ruled my life.
What a relief to be over it. What a relief to be ruled by God!
But…
If the Ghost of Christmas Past could talk, it might peep:
“Yeah, but don’t you need a better cell phone?”
“You have nothing to wear! These clothes are like five years old.”
“I’ll be happy when … ”
Do I even need to finish that last one?
Things Don’t Last
Living for the world was like sleepwalking through life with my hands out–grabbing–and my eyes closed. Even when I caught something, it was quickly used up and discarded. Or it broke. Or I lost it.
Either way, it ended, and I was back to grabbing for something else.
God lifted that burden from me (praise the Lord!), but there are still times I have to guard against the thought: “‘ll be happy when…”
God is I AM… Forever
Especially during Christmas, many of us focus on being more Christ-like, worshiping God and praying for guidance to do the right thing. But that doesn’t mean temptation won’t wave it’s skinny finger under our nose and try to point us in another direction.
I thank God several times a day for what He has blessed us with, but it’s especially important when times get tough. It’s especially important to say thank you that God is there–that He can’t be used up, that He will never break.
Most of all, God will never end.
Wanting Things? Or Wanting God?
Wanting things–wanting what we don’t have, wanting more… it’s a sign we’re looking in the wrong direction. It often leads to covetousness and distruction.
It doesn’t seem to make any difference how much we have; we just keep expanding our list of desires, which guarantees we will remain dissatisfied. The mindset that says, ‘I’ll be happy when this desire is fulfilled,’ is the same mindset that will repeat itself once that desire is met.
— Richard Carlson
What a description of hell!
Wanting God–wanting to be more like Christ… it’s a sign we’re living by faith.
When Jesus spoke with the woman at the well, he told her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14).
Lord, let us be filled with you. Fill our hearts! Purify our hearts. Live in our hearts so that we may feel quenched by your love. Protect us from evil Lord. Thank you for loving us and dying for our sins. Amen.
When we love things, we are left empty. When we love God, we are filled with life.
How do you choose God over things?
Photo Credit. Thank you!
If I ‘m honest, I’ve not really been that much of a craver for things. My needs are emotional & that is the thing I struggle with and that fights for supremacy with God, especially at Christmas when we should be thankful for Jesus’ entry into the human experience.
@Bunny – I can’t say your’e alone in that. Letting go of things happened gradually for me, but it still attempts to pop up from time to time. Emotional needs are still a work in progress, though I know He hears us when we ask for help and growth 🙂