Friday, February 15, 2013

'The Cost of Discipleship' Pt. 2 Excerpts & Thoughts


More from the book 'The Cost of Discipleship' By Dietrich Bonheoffer.

'The way to misuse our possessions is to use them as an insurance against the morrow.'

Do you do this?  We are taught to do this. We are called brilliant if we have insurances against tomorrow. We set up huge retirement funds for many tomorrows that are still yet many, many tomorrows away.   It hasn't always been this way, in fact pensions and such in the United States didn't even really start until 1920 for civilians ( earlier for veterans). People DID NOT as a rule have retirement funds. 

Note this-

'In most countries, the idea of retirement is of recent origin, being introduced during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Previously, low life expectancy and the absence of pension arrangements meant that most workers continued to work until death. Germany was the first country to introduce retirement, in 1880.'


People didn't plan the way we've been taught to plan. And the way we've been taught has been to put away lots for rainy days. If we don't do this then we are slackers, we are stupid, we are crazy, because when we get old or sick what then?  We are TAUGHT to worry about tomorrow?! The very contrary message of SCRIPTURE!   We are raised to be completely insecure if we don't have funds set aside to ensure we have something, anything to help us out when something goes horribly wrong and income stops coming in. We are FILLED with anxiety over the future because we have been TAUGHT to be filled with anxiety over the future.

To stop being filled with anxiety to some would mean we do NOT care about our futures and if we do not care about our futures we are seriously messed up.

If we told someone we weren't going to sink our money into savings for the future because we were going to trust God for our future needs, we'd be told we are being foolish, God wants us to provide for ourselves. 

What God wants is for us to TRUST HIM and NOT use our 'possessions as insurance against tomorrow'! 

No, we are NOT to throw our money away, not ever! We are not to be wasteful with our money! We are not to be bad stewards of our money! We are to wisely use our money for the things God directs us to- helping others.  When we hoard our money, or use our money to accumulate gross amounts of possessions, we are sinning whether we want to admit it or not.  Get angry, never read my blog again, hate every word I'm writing, I don't care because it is TRUTH! Our LORD told us where our treasures are to be, so if our treasures aren't where HE told us they should be, then we HAVE to comprehend the very real truth that we are sinning, we are going against our Lord's words! This is TRUTH.

We can talk till we're blue in a million different directions about kingdoms, palaces, jewels, riches in the Bible, but when it comes right down to our SAVIOR and HIS DISCIPLES did ANY of them live in a palace? Did any of them hoard riches? Did any of them make a point of garnering possessions? Jesus stripped away all the outer layers of humanity and got down to the bare bones of the truth with us, letting us know that things here on this earth mean NOTHING in comparison to ETERNITY with HIM. If we are born rich, if we are blessed with wealth, we are to use it for HIS GLORY not ours?! HIS GLORY!

We are NOT to use our possessions as insurance against tomorrow- this is very insightful stuff coming from Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

He also says-- 'Anxiety is always directed to the morrow…'

We could also put it another way- anxiety is always directed at the future.

A future we FOOLISHLY think we have some kind of control over.

My hubby has had numerous surgeries over the last ten years or so and it's never ceased to amaze me how relaxed he is going into them. My mother too has had a few surgeries these last few years and she's the same way, relaxed.  To me the mere thought of surgery causes anxiety.  I know logically what happens - happens and there is little a person can do to change a lot of things. I know logically if I were to have surgery there is NOTHING my worrying could accomplish, nothing it could change. My worrying can't make the surgeon's hands steady, my worrying can't force surgery to go quickly.  My worrying occurs because I have some notion that I have a bit of control and I'm letting go of it.

I've confronted my hubby time and time again over his nonchalant attitude towards surgery and it's always the same- worrying wouldn't do any good.  He's right, I can't dispute Him, I can't point out his flawed view. I can only sit back and marvel that He is so ...RIGHT, and able to know that he's right and act on what He knows- something someone calls being logical about things, not emotional.

Anxiety is truly always directed at future happenstances.  Even if you did something awful in the past you are worried about the consequences that come in the future. We worry about the future.

Jesus was very clear about us NOT worrying about eating, drinking, clothing.

More from Bonhoeffer--

'Anxiety is always directed to the morrow, whereas goods are in the strictest sense meant to be used only for today. By trying to ensure for the next day we are only creating uncertainty today. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. The only way to win assurance is by leaving tomorrow entirely in the hands of God and by receiving from him all we need for today. If instead of receiving God's gifts for today we worry about tomorrow, we find ourselves helpless victims of infinite anxiety.   "Be not anxious  for the morrow": either that is cruel mockery for the poor and wretched the very people Jesus is talking to who, humanly speaking, really will starve if they do not make provision to day. Either it is an intolerable law, which men will reject with indignation; or it is the unique proclamation of the gospel of the glorious liberty of the children of God, who have a Father in heaven, a Father who has given his beloved Son. How shall not God with Him also freely give us all things?

"Be not anxious for the morrow." This is not to be take as a philosophy of life or a moral law: it is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and only so can it be understood. Only those who follow Him and know Him can receive this word as a promise of the love of His Father and as a deliverance from the thraldom of material things. It is not the care that frees the disciples from care, but their faith in Jesus Christ. Only they know that we cannot be anxious (verse 27). The coming day, even the coming hour, are placed beyond our control ."

*

I'm pausing here because there is just so much he has to write on this that is amazing. I want to pause and just discuss what I've copied already.

'The only way to win assurance is by leaving tomorrow entirely in the hands of God and by receiving from him all we need for today.'   TRUTH or LIES?

Truth!

This doesn't mean we don't work! This doesn't mean we don't make shopping lists! This doesn't mean we don't make any appointments! This doesn't mean we don't talk about plans for future events!

We do all those things, only we KNOW that every single one of those things is done by the WILL of God and if things are changed it's not a cause for upset but an opportunity to TRUST.

The disciples worked- Paul was a tentmaker and was glad that he could use his skills to provide for himself. He didn't sit there expecting God to send a bird to drop food in his lap. He worked as God gave Him the ability to work and trusted in God in His work that it would be profitable for His needs.

When we LEAVE tomorrow entirely in the hands of God, we are choosing to TRUST the God will provide all we need to live tomorrow according to HIS will, not necessarily our own idea of what His will for us is. 

All we have received so far today has been provided for us. The work you believe provides you with things is still provided for by God because He made you able to work, and made work available to you. We can't escape God's providing. We can ignore it, we can refute it all we want but it is TRUTH.

' "Be not anxious  for the morrow": either that is cruel mockery for the poor and wretched the very people Jesus is talking to who, humanly speaking, really will starve if they do not make provision to day. Either it is an intolerable law, which men will reject with indignation; or it is the unique proclamation of the gospel of the glorious liberty of the children of God, who have a Father in heaven, a Father who has given his beloved Son. How shall not God with Him also freely give us all things? '

Were there poor among those listening to Jesus? Yes. Were there hungry? Yes. You have to wonder if you listened to Jesus' words about not being anxious, and His Father providing, all the while your stomach is aching, bloated with the need for food, your eyes sunken, your skin dry, your hair thin as you starve. You have to wonder if they felt mocked. I don't think they did, not at all.  They were hearing the precious words of life the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God's Only Begotten Son! And He was assuring ALL that their lots here on earth are temporary to eternity and belief in that was more important than life here and now, belief in HIM. They might suffer now but one day their suffering would end and they'd be rewarded in eternity. THIS IS TRUTH! There is no mockery at all when You stop looking at the temporary and trust in eternity through JESUS CHRIST our LORD who offers eternity this very day and every day until probation closes, and time is no more!


'"Be not anxious for the morrow." This is not to be take as a philosophy of life or a moral law: it is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and only so can it be understood. Only those who follow Him and know Him can receive this word as a promise of the love of His Father and as a deliverance from the thraldom of material things. It is not the care that frees the disciples from care, but their faith in Jesus Christ. Only they know that we cannot be anxious (verse 27). The coming day, even the coming hour, are placed beyond our control ."'

TRUTH.

Please Lord, help us to know Your TRUTH!

If we truly are YOURS we will TRUST in YOU by YOUR GRACE and MERCY, through YOUR LOVE, YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, YOUR FAITH, in all things!




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