“For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world” (1 Timothy 6:7).
I never realize how much stuff I have until it’s time to move it all. What used to fit in the back of my pickup now requires a moving truck the size of a semi. Sometimes my stuff seems almost as essential as food and water. I surround myself with it, I comfort myself with it, and it’s painful to imagine life without it.
As I’m pondering how I should organize it all, I recall the story in Matthew where the rich man asks Jesus what he’s still lacking to inherit eternal life.
“If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth” (Matthew 19:21-22).
In this passage Jesus was addressing this man’s weakness. His wealth was the one thing getting in the way of his relationship with God and Jesus knew it. If Jesus was standing in front of you now and you asked Him, “What do I lack?” Do you know what He would say? What is the one thing He might ask you to give up?
Maybe it’s an unhealthy relationship, an addiction to a substance, a job that defines you, or maybe… it is your stuff.
When I was a little girl I was attached to a little stuffed dog I named Creampuff. One day I left him at McDonald’s and I never went back to get him. The sweater I had to have when I was 14 is probably at a goodwill store if time hasn’t disintegrated it altogether. The red truck I worshiped (that used to fit all my stuff) is in pieces at a wrecking yard somewhere.
Relationships that were so hard to give up have ended, jobs that defined me have come and gone, and I’ve managed to give up addictions I thought I could never overcome. And I know there is more I need to let go of that I just can’t face yet.
What is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to give up?
I think for me it would be the hardest that I’d had gone through when my son decided to marry his wife she decided to take him away from our family and it’s been 18 years now that I haven’t seen my son I prayed for him for 15 years to come back to the family but then I decided I’m going to give it towed me to the Lord and He will have to do change his heart or we will see him in heaven but it’s his choice and I go on with my other three children and enjoy everything with them
So sad, I’m sorry 🙁
I lost all my material possessions several times in my life, so thats not to much of an issue for me. By the grace of God Ive been clean of drugs going on 7 years, and 4 for alcohol. But i stillhave a couple of bad habits I continue to struggle with. I try to understand why i struggle with these things, why God just doest take them away like he did the drugs and booze. I pray daily for strength and courage to over come my weakness’. I lived the life of a drug addict for about 23 years, and I know that God’s not done with me yet. I am thankful for the changes he has made, and I will continue to have faith that someday I will find peace within myself, and overcome the obstacles.
Thanks for reaching Ruben! You are a miracle!!!
My son! God revealed to me he was getting into some bad things and messing with the wrong people. All I could do was pray and believe God. Cody and I had a great relationship. And I ministered to him constantly. Lomg story short… Cody died from a drug overdose 2-24-17. But my God is faithful. This is a season and like I said at codys funeral I will thank God in ALL seasons for ALL things. God knows best! There are worse things that Cody could have lived through, and died from. But most importantly his heart was still soft to God. And I am thankful. God has opened doors for me to be able to minister to so many others through the tragedy in my life. I am thankful that I could still hear God’s whisper even through the screams of my pain.
I struggle, daily, in surrendering my daughter over to the Lord. She is a meth addict, in her 3rd relapse. I have seen this demon drug almost destroy her life twice, and I am a now a shell of my former self because of worry, stress, and the feeling of defeat. I cry multiple times daily over this. If it were not for this situation, my life is pretty darn good, but I just can’t seem to release her. Please keep us in your prayers.
Hi Arlene, I will be praying for you and your daughter. I’m so sorry for your losses. This is so sad and tragic. I lost my brother to addiction so I know some of your struggles but not fully. I’m so sorry 🙁