Possessing Nothing
A. W. Tozer points out in his book, The Pursuit of God, that there is an extraordinary blessedness that comes when we truly let go of our possessions. There is a sacred skill that can be learned to transfer all value and worth away from our "things" and onto God.
I've realized in my life how much mental time and space I devote to "things." At its core, it's worry. I worry about my future, my health, my savings, my work, my image, and of course...my gear.
The weight of thought I place on these worries proves I still falsely believe I'm in control of them and they'll all come crashing down if I don't keep the plates spinning on my own power. Oh, and my worry also reveals what I think will bring me satisfaction.
My worry is worship—it reveals what I place worth in.
So if I'm honest, I worship "things" a lot.
In Luke 12, Jesus addresses this so clearly and gracefully, it's been pulling me in over and over. I can't stop reading it and re-reading it.
The whole section, Luke 12:13-34 is worth careful meditation.
At its core, Jesus' teaching here calls us to a different reality, a redefinition of what "life" really is. Life is not accumulation or cosy comfort, but found in a posture of generosity and daily trust in our Heavenly Abba to provide.
The unfathomable grace in this passage is just how precious Jesus reveals we are to God, and how much He cares about us. As the song "Jireh" has taught us well—how much more does He love us!? More than all the splendor and beauty of His creation. We are His treasure and He deeply cares about the peace in our hearts that can only come from a Kingdom-first posture. And so He calls us to hurry-less hustle-less, grind-less rhythms so we can experience "life" the way He designed it.
But how do we let go?
1-Believe Him
Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. (Lk. 12:15)
For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. (Lk. 12:23)
We need to agree that this truth is reality and daily wear this lens. Through these lenses, take a careful inventory of our "things" and speak over each one—
"My life is not in you"
"My identity is not in you"
"My future is not in you”
"My hope is not in you"
"My joy is not in you"
"My satisfaction is not in you."
2-Practice Simplicity
Buy less. Declutter. Give stuff away instead of sell it on Marketplace. If you practice Sabbath, try not buying anything on Sabbath. Be intentional with buying needs and less wants. Give yourself a pause before buying big things. Wait a week and see how you feel then.
3-Practice Generosity
Tithing regularly is spiritual warfare. I tell this to my church regularly. If it's easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, then regularly surrendering our first fruits is one of the best ways to declare our allegiance to the Lord and release our grip on accumulation.
4-Invest in the Kingdom
"Seeking first the Kingdom" means we're too busy with Kingdom mischief to be so concerned with self. Regularly serving in the Church, taking leadership in a ministry, committing to a volunteering role in any Kingdom capacity will start transferring where our treasure is stored. And if Jesus is right, our heart follows our treasure.