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.'
Pasted
from <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retirement>
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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