religion article

Attached is the religion article for next week.  Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

I have always believed that less is more.  I can't stand it when my house or even a single room is filled with clutter.  My grandma had one whole room of her house that was filled from floor to ceiling with newspaper clippings and old plastic containers.  It was overwhelming when they moved to town to a smaller house.  They ended up throwing most of it away as there was nowhere to store it anymore.  When she passed away they could only get rid of the rest of it. 

 

In this time in our nation's economical history and in our own lives that phrase "less is more" rings all the more true.  We are learning to get by with less and that certain luxury excesses don't really mean that much.  We are learning all over again that it is better to have something useful and economical than fancy, expensive and only useful for special occasions. .  We are also realizing that the less our life is cluttered with stuff the better off we often are. 

 

Having too much stuff can take a spiritual toll as well.  Just think of all the money and time we spend protecting and taking care of all our stuff.  It is so very easy for our stuff to run and then ruin our lives. 

 

Jesus knew this full well.  When he sent out the 72 to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God he told them to only bring enough with them to be comfortable.  He told them that when they entered a town they should rely on the people there, whom God had appointed and blessed, to help them with all their physical needs.  He didn't want them to be overburdened with too much stuff but instead to be able to focus on their mission. 

 

He wants the same for you.  He doesn't want you to be overburdened with too much wealth.  It sounds like a contradiction doesn't it?  Too much wealth, is there really such a thing as too much wealth?  Believe it or not, there is.  Jesus himself said that "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." In this way and in many others, too much is more of a curse than a blessing. 

 

Instead our Lord and Savior wants you to be able to rely on Him first and foremost.  Instead of relying on the things, why not rely on the giver and provider of those things.  Instead of trusting in material wealth to get you by and make you happy, why not trust in the spiritual wealth that only Christ can provide. 

 

I want you to think about these things throughout this Advent and Christmas Season.  Think about how much you have and what it is doing to you.  Then maybe instead of hoarding and buying, buying and hoarding, you can give all your extra stuff away and bless someone who needs it. 

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