Are You Possessed by Your Possessions?
By Rick Warren
“But as for me, my contentment is not in wealth but in seeing you and knowing all is well between us. And when I awake in heaven, I will be fully satisfied, for I will see you face-to-face.” Psalm 17:15 (TLB)
Life is not about things. You have to maintain the right perspective about what you own—or you’ll be possessed by your possessions. You’ve got to realize that none of it is going to last.
Jesus says in Luke 12:15, “Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed; because your true life is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich you may be” (GNT).
Never judge your self-worth by your net worth. Never think your value is related to your valuables. Realize that the greatest things in life aren’t things. You didn’t bring anything into the world, and you won’t take anything out of it. Life is not about acquisition or achievement; it’s about relationships and learning how to love God and other people.
The best way to remember that your life is not about things, is to build it on eternal priorities. Focus on what will last forever. Every possession is temporary, so don’t build your life on acquiring possessions. Only two things are going to last forever: the Word of God and people.
You’ve got a choice to make. The world is telling you that you need to get more to be happier, more successful, more important, more valuable, and more secure. So you’ve got to decide: Are you going to listen to Madison Avenue or the Master? Are you going to listen to culture or Christ? Are you going to listen to the world or the Word? One will leave you dissatisfied the rest of your life; one will make you truly happy.
Before you can move toward financial freedom, you have to ask yourself, “What is the primary purpose of my life? Is it just to get more? What do I think about, talk about, and give my attention to? What am I living my life for?”
Look around, and you’ll see many people who have a lot to live on. You’ll see celebrities on television and successful businesspeople in your own community. These people’s bank accounts are overflowing. They have plenty to live on, but some of them may have very little to live for.
What about you? You may have a lot to live on, but do you have anything to live for? Do you have a relationship with God? The myth of the world is that you can have it all. The truth is that you can’t have it all—and more importantly, you don’t need it all to be happy. You’re as happy as you choose to be.
The secret to contentment is finding your security and your satisfaction not in what you have but in whose you are. You find it in Christ.
Psalm 17:15 says, “But as for me, my contentment is not in wealth but in seeing you and knowing all is well between us. And when I awake in heaven, I will be fully satisfied, for I will see you face-to-face” (TLB).
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