Loosed From This World

Year after year, God is teaching me more each day to hold a little less tightly the things of this world and cling what has eternal value and purpose. It’s an embarrassing fact that most of this country is distracted by the sin of overconsumption and materialism , including myself at times. I can remember as a teenager watching “hauls” and youtube videos of girls constantly getting new clothes, makeup, skincare etc. I never thought of myself as someone who is materialistic because if I was being compared the the average girl, I had much less and would be below average in the amount of things I owned and the price that comes along with buying things.

It wasn’t until later on when I got married that I slowly began to see the tight grip that I had on my treasured belongings… I remember moving into my first apartment, holding each item so dearly because I had carefully planned out, been gifted and bought the things that we needed to make a home. I felt so blessed, but when I started babysitting and living in my apartment 24/7, I began to realize just how fast new things diminish their shine and sparkle and how easily things get stained and damaged. I faced silly disappointments during that time, wasting worry on the physical things that fade away.

Most of my personal belongings are thrifted gifted or passed down, and I’ve always been ok with that, but more recent thing God is teaching me is “are you ok with letting your things go?”. It truly doesn’t matter your income, amount of revenu or the size of your house… We are called to give to those in need and we cannot be trapped by our own hold on our posessions. The more I read the bible, the more verses just keep popping up about not having a hold on the earthly things and giving to those in need.

(A Few Verses I’ve Been Seeing On Repeat)

James 2:15-17

Matthew 25:35-46

Luke 6:32-34

Luke 6:34 in particular says, “and if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? for even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back”

God wants us to go above and beyond just sharing when we feel we have an over supply of goods. The heart of giving comes when there is sacrifice involved, where we don’t only give things that we didn’t want anyway, or had no need of. I have experienced the blessing of being able to move and relocate many times with never feeling like I was lacking in furniture or belongings because I’ve always had kind people giving things away for cheap or free. The more I have been blessed by others I’ve learned that I to should have that willingness to part with things for others in need. I honestly never saw so many needs until I stopped worring about my own “needs”, that’s when God showed me that there are incredible needs all around; physical, emotional and spiritual needs and we are the ones put on this earth to deliver to those who are lacking. That looks completely different for everyone and every believer, but giving and letting go are a calling God has put on each of us as a family of Believers.

(Luke 6:27-31)

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not with hold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.”

There is so much wisdom in those verses and that’s our calling, to give without expecting anything for ourselves. That right there is the nature of God!