Monday, October 26, 2015

pure

Readings for today and yesterday: Jeremiah 48:1-50:46, 2 Timothy 4:1-Titus 1:16, Psalms 97:1-98:9, Proverbs 26:13-16

Today Paul tells us about things. He tells us that everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. Which tells you about whether or not STUFF is good or evil. It's neither. No THING is bad, but only our hearts make it bad if we take it that way.

So the things in your life, the stuff that is all around you... none of it is bad in itself. Your money isn't bad. Your possessions aren't bad. But what you do with those things reveals your heart, which is either good or bad.

What do we do with our things when our hearts are good? Well, Paul says something else in today's reading that is surprising. He's going through the usual list of things that people who want to be "elders" in the church need to be.... trustworthy and not drunks and so forth. But then he says that they must "enjoy having people in their homes." That might surprise you. It did me. Not just that they would HAVE people in their homes... but that they must "enjoy" having them in their homes.

What that points to is generosity. When we're genuinely generous, we ENJOY sharing our things with people. We don't do it grudgingly, or to win points that we can cash in later. We do it because we WANT to share our things with others.

And that's what things are for. To share. To enjoy with other people. That's why God gave us stuff. Not to hoard. To share.

Thank You, God, for the blessing of stuff in our lives. Please teach us to share.

1 comment:

Julie said...

You know how to share, it comes from the heart and even when you were very young your heart was right, and still is.