I’ve mentioned on the blog many times before about our “dream house” we built in 2009. I told about how I grew up moving quite often since my dad was a home-builder. If someone wanted the house we were in, we sold it and moved. If there was another house of his ready and waiting for someone to live in, we moved in it. If not, we moved into a rental property. We stayed in the same county, just many different locations. It was not ideal, but I get why we did it. Somewhere along the way I decided that the thing to do was to one day have a home you loved and live in it forever and ever and ever, amen. My grown kids would come visit their precious parents and their hearts would be flooded with memories from their growing up years. If I had my way, I would live in this house all my live-long days, period. I never actually articulated this dream during my younger years, but you can bet it was all there in my heart and mind.
Through our personal journey with our “dream house” and then letting go of the house and moving right back into what we thought was just our first house, the Lord did and continues to do a work in our hearts. Eternal perspective becomes clearer and clearer. We have learned so much……
and yet we have so much to learn. So much.
I started reading “Money, Possessions, and Eternity” by Randy Alcorn a couple of weeks ago. Goodness gracious. Good, good stuff. I highly recommend it to anyone. Josh and I do believe, based on God’s Word, that there are rewards in heaven. However, this book is opening my eyes even more to this truth and how it should affect my short time here on earth. Alcorn uses so much scripture all throughout his book.
He shares an example of a couple who was saving to build a dream home of their own. They told him, “We’ve always had this dream for a beautiful home in the country, and we can’t seem to shake it. Is that wrong?”
Randy Alcorn says he told them that he believed their dream of a perfect home was from God. Then, he said, “It’s just that your dream can’t be fulfilled here in this world.”
He goes on to write, “Our dream house is coming; we don’t have to build it ourselves. In fact, we can’t. Any dream house on earth will eventually be ravaged by time, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, carpenter ants, or freeway bypasses. Who would want to divert kingdom funds to build a dream house on earth if they understood that either it will leave them or they will leave it? Instead, why not use our resources to send building materials ahead to the Carpenter, our Bridegroom, who this very moment is building our dream house in heaven?”
Luke 12:15 says, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
There is a temptation to fill our lives with stuff we want and somehow think it will bring us life, make our life better or give us satisfaction in life. That is such a lie. Back during our house building time there was a preacher at church that was speaking about greed and how it was the root of the countries economic implosion during those days. He had much to say about greed. I left highly offended. I could not believe he would say such things; I did not like what he was implying….since I was one that wanted more and was in the process of getting more. Who did he think he was to say such offensive things that I did not agree with???
Ends up he was exactly right. I was exactly wrong. Greed is an offense against God, and I shouldn’t have been so concerned about being offended by this preacher, rather I should have been concerned about offending God. Greed is idolatry, putting money or things in place of God.
Our riches and anything they can buy or allow us to experience will not last forever. We are foolish and short-sighted to think otherwise.
Psalm 49:10-12 says, “For he sees that even wise men die; The stupid and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others. Their inner thought is that their houses are forever and their dwelling places to all generations; They have called their lands after their own names. But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish.”
Well then. Like Alcorn says, “Materialism isn’t just wrong, it’s stupid'” and then goes on later to add, “in fact, materialism is insane.”
Ouch.
Also he says, “Through generous giving we can escape the gravity of things on earth by establishing a new orbit around treasures we store up in heaven.”
And one more quote from this book that I highly recommend, “Seeking fulfillment in money, land, houses, cars, clothes, boats, campers, hot tubs, world travel, and cruises has left us bound and gagged by materialism–and like drug addicts, we pathetically think that our only hope lies in getting more of the same. Meanwhile, the voice of God–unheard amid the clamor of our possessions–is telling us that even if materialism did bring happiness in this life, which it clearly does not, it would leave us woefully unprepared for the next life.”
PSALM 90:12 “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to you a heart of wisdom.”
Admittedly, I have much to learn on this subject and this way of living and giving that God invites me in to. Thankfully, He hasn’t given up on me and is teaching me, and I can see growth in my life. If I’m still here on earth, then I still have opportunities to obey! I’m praying God keeps my eyes open to Him, my ears attentive to His Words, and my heart humble before Him all of my days.
