The Joy Of Possessing Nothing...

"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD!  I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!"  (Hab. 3:17-18, NIV).  
"...[A]nd the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions" (Obadiah v. 17, ESV). 
"... Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich" (2 Cor. 8:9, NIV).   
"... Freely give as you have freely received" (cf. Matt. 10:8).  

We possess nothing, yet we make many rich!  Sometimes a person has to come to the end of himself financially (e.g., bankruptcy, devasting illness, traumatic event, crisis, or natural disaster) before he realizes that he doesn't need a lot of his "stuff." The Bible states life does not consist in the abundance of one's possessions!  Contrary to modern thought, he who dies with the most toys doesn't win!  Actually, riches are in the abundance of our possessions but in the fewness of our wants!  

For example, when we move many realize when taking inventory that we find out we don't need or want a lot of our "stuff" anymore and toss it or give it away.  There is a certain liberation getting rid of unneeded or unwanted belongings and paraphernalia or junk.  We find out what is really important and of value.  You hear of people in fires who say they lost everything, but money can replace much of what they are talking about.  It is the things money can't buy that are really valuable.

Friends are few and hard to find, and if you have too many you don't know who your real friends are.  You cannot put a price on friendship because friends come with benefits and there are always certain perks to knowing people--sometimes it's who you know that makes a difference in your life, not what you know.  The Bible says we cannot buy love!  Habakkuk mourned that his fields didn't bear fruit, but thanked God that he could still rejoice in the Lord despite it.  When we lose everything it may be a time to reflect on the fact that all we really need in life is God and he will take care of us and supply all our needs.

Lacking no good thing is not the same as having everything:  God blesses everyone in some ways, but some in many ways--for God is good to all.  God never promises to meet all our wants or felt-needs but has vowed to meet our needs according to His will.  Actually, the less we possess the more freedom we have (I'm talking about material goods that seem to accumulate over the years and some are even called packrats!).  It is wonderful to know that you've got God and that's what really matters!

When Jesus said that it's more blessed to give than receive, He's not just talking about monetary gifts of alms to the poor or offerings to the church, but all our material possessions (and all blessings and provision) and of giving away our "stuff" to someone who will enjoy it and make better use of it than us--and they don't have to wait till they die to will things away.  To him who would borrow, give!  That's the Spirit! 

 For instance, there is a joy in not just giving randomly, but to someone who will make good use of it and invest it for God's kingdom.  We must realize that we are mere stewards of what God has blessed us with and everything actually belongs to God and is on loan!  It has been wisely said that nothing really belongs to you till you are ready to let go of it!  The more liberal our giving of all God's provision and blessings, the more thankful we prove ourselves in our receiving.  For we are only blessed in order to be a blessing as God's conduits.

In the final analysis, we don't really possess our possessions till they are seen as belonging to God and us as stewards.  To quote Saint Patrick:  "...For it is in giving that we receive."  Corrie ten Boom, after the Holocaust, said:  "Hold all t[h]ings loosely."   In sum, sometimes we all need is to be tested to see what's of real value to us and where we place our personal worth and what kind of appraisal we give of our lives, being asked to give of what we hold dear and affectionately (e.g., time, energy, money, property, etc.) and we find out the real reason for living outside the world of materialism--we will not be happier by merely possessing more "stuff."       Soli Deo Gloria! 

Love Not The World

"He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin [for a season]" (Heb. 11:25, NIV). 
"We have met the enemy, and he is us!" (Pogo, Walt Kelly's cartoon character)
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor. 10:4, NIV).
"These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings" (Col. 2:22, NIV).    

The title above is from a book by Watchman Nee, Love Not the World, who was a missionary in China during vehement Christian persecution which happened when the Mao regime was in power.  Loving the world is a trap and sideline from Satan that lures the unsuspecting believer away from God's way and his walk with Him, to get him off track. We can let the world squeeze us into its mold or worldview unawares.  John says not to love the world, nor the things of the world (cf. 1 John 2:15). Jesus said similarly, that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also!  Satan controls the world system--the entertainment industry, religion, the government, academia, the media, and he will give it over to whomever he desires--Christ refused it at His temptation in the wilderness.

When kids (and I'll focus on them) go off to college they are immersed in the devil's worldview, usually unprepared and unbeknownst to them, and many change their way of thinking pretty quick and become conformed to the image of the world, even losing their faith.  Satan is very subtle and uses mind games, engages in power trips and controls, psychological warfare, and authority figures to mold young impressionable minds in their formative years.  They become too busy for God in college and their priorities are turned topsy-turvy.  They eventually may become uninformed as to world affairs and tune it out in apathy and become ignorant--what's worse, they are unconcerned, disinterested, and nonchalant. They don't know and they don't care, nor care that they don't know!

With so many competing interests, God may seem boring in comparison--but this only happens to the immature, unseasoned, and uncommitted believers.  Much more, hormones are all the more active and they are growing up and discovering sex and show all the more interest in the opposite sexual persuasion.  Any unnatural desire though is lust and sinful--there is natural attractiveness.  Parties become frequent and easily accessed, challenging their morals and scruples. 

The odd thing is that they may still engage in refraining from certain taboos like not playing cards, dancing, going to movies, having long hair, drinking, doing drugs, gambling, smoking, listening to Rock music--an especially big no-no! (When I was young you had to watch the hemlines, the hairlines, and the movie lines) etc., but they must find out that refraining from activities is no guarantee or measure of spirituality.

The issue is that they lack a consistent walk with the Lord and don't even seek spiritual guidance, instead they fall through the cracks and get lost in the shuffle of growing up. They drift away, not so much as to rebel or fall away.  Kids don't learn the true value of success and what is really important to God.  God does promise to prosper us in what we do and kids have a worldly concept of success, thinking bigger is better and more is better, and forget that God is looking for our obedience and faithfulness, not our achievements or our success, which is His business. The Christian life isn't a performance, but the fruit of the Spirit and resultant faithfulness in one's gifting; NB: fruits are grown, but gifts are given.

When the kids get too entangled in the ways of the world, it chokes out the Word, and they become carnal and must be treated as infants in Christ, not knowing good and evil.  Christianity is about being free in Christ in order to bring Him glory.  "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36, NIV).  ("Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin,..." Acts 13:39, NIV).  If these kids knew the Christian worldview they wouldn't be sitting ducks and succumb to Satan's Anfectung or assault of evil in academia.

In conclusion, worldliness is not refraining from some religious taboo but whether we let it influence our outlook on life, or way of thinking, or even a belief system.  Remember: There's no compromising with the devil--show discernment!  "Don't provide an opportunity for the devil" (Eph. 4:27, CEB).  "Have nothing to do with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them" (Eph. 5:11, NIV).  You can watch TV, but don't be overly influenced by their take on world events or the world-system, if opposed to Christ, i.e., have a Christian worldview. 

Let God open your eyes to see good and evil (cf. Heb. 5:15) everywhere because the "devil seeks whom he may devour"(cf. 1 Pet. 5:8) because we are in an enemy-occupied territory and must remember that "the battle is the Lord's" (cf. 2 Chron. 20:15).    James 1:27 describes the believer with "pure religion" or devotion as one who is "unspotted" or uncontaminated from the world (system).    Soli Deo Gloria!