Lounging on Quicksand

Lately we've been talking a lot about missions and our future plans to move back overseas as full-time missionaries.  There are several verses of scripture that have been on my mind lately in regard to all this.  One is from Matthew 19 when a rich young ruler comes to Jesus asking how he might enter the kingdom of heaven.  Jesus replies, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me."  When you have surrendered your life to Christ and abandon all creature comforts of this world to go to the nations to preach the gospel, this verse hits pretty close to home.    While I don't believe God calls everyone of his followers to give up absolutely everything they have, I do believe that this verse applies to our mindset as believers.  A second verse that has been on my mind is Matthew 6:19-20 which says, "Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

How easy it is to become comfortable on this earth by surrounding ourselves with material wealth and possessions.  This is an area that I still struggle with, if I can be perfectly honest.  While I want more than anything to be obedient to the call of missions, I still find it difficult to part with all the "stuff" in our lives.  I'll give you an example.  When we moved back to the US we bought a new couch.  And oh, I. love. this. couch.  My living room has become my favorite place in all of Beaufort.  I look forward to coming home form work everyday and putting my feet up with a good book all snuggly warm on our couch.  This might not seem bad on the surface, but what scares me is the idea that I allow earthly treasures to take the place of heavenly ones.  Someday all our material possessions will be gone; destroyed by moth or rust or thieves.  That much is clear.  So how foolish it is to put our hope in such things.

When we actually let go of the stuff that we think keeps us so happy, we're free to really live our lives fully surrendered to Christ.  He wants all of us.  That means he also wants the part of our hearts that have a tight hold on the things in our lives.  Otherwise we'll get to the end of our lives and what will we have to say for ourselves?  "Well, I enjoyed my couch.  Enjoyed it so much in fact that I didn't live in obedience to Christ.  I was comfortable, but the world isn't any different because I lived."  Ouch.  I don't want that to be my life. God calls us to live lives that glorify Him.  Jesus calls us to abandon the comforts of this world and follow him with all we have.  It's time for me to get off the couch.  What is Christ calling you to do?