Things I Don't Want To Be ... Part 4

10. I don't want to be possessive.
George Carlin once did a comedy skit about our obsessions with our possessions. He said we're always looking for a place to put our "stuff." That a house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it. That you've got to move to a bigger house, primarily because you've got more stuff. And how YOUR stuff is always more important than THEIR stuff. Even when you go on vacation, you're faced with the dilemma of how much stuff to pack, how much stuff to buy, etc..

We're born naked. We die empty-handed. In between is just stuff. My mother often said, "You never see a hearse pulling a U-Haul." And after my folks died, we did have to get a U-Haul to relocate their stuff.

Jesus said that we are to build up treasures in heaven, where moth and rust can't destroy, and thieves can't steal. I honestly don't believe that he would begrudge us our creature comforts. But when our focus is on acquiring, collecting or hoarding things, then we quickly forget the treasures that last, like kindness, generosity, caring and loving --- people, not things.

We can also be jealous and possessive of our time, an individual, our church or our hobby, to the point that our behavior reveals our unhealthy appetite. An appetite that grows. We can become enslaved by our possessions and not really enjoy them at all.

This may seem simplistic, but I see all the things that I have as on loan from God. Matthew 10:8 says, "Freely you have received, freely give." No, I'm not going to give you my address so that you can come and loot my house. (God may not want you to have it either.) But I'm learning more and more about sharing with those he has put in my path. And my wife and I are committed to freeing ourselves of our possessions before we proceed on our heavenly journey. We hope to have no U-Haul reserved for our stuff.

11. I don't want to be plagued by evil desires.
If you Google the term "evil desires," 16 out the first 20 hits will reveal sites that refer to sex either directly or indirectly. And 13 of the 16 are of a religious nature. The same search using just the word "desire" returns only 5 of 20 hits with any reference to sex. In my opinion sex is getting way too much play in what is really a more serious subject (which can include sex) --- that being pure desire that leads one to perform evil deeds.

For the record desire can be either positive or negative. I can desire to walk in God's will. I can desire that my children be loving, caring adults. These desires prompt me to pray to God, encourage my children and do things that will support these healthy goals. However, if I desire to see someone "get what they deserve," to take what isn't mine, to tell someone off or to be above someone in knowledge, good health, strength or possessions, then my desire is most unhealthy.

James (Bible, NT) points out that desire itself is not the sin, but is rather the seedbed for sin. That kind of desire springs from temptation, germinates, then gives birth to sin. The horror of it is that such a concoction begins in your mind. And it's difficult to turn it off. What can we do?

The first thing is to bring it to light. No, don't go blabbing it to everyone. If you have someone very close that you trust for wise counsel, it really does help to talk about it. But most importantly, confess it to the Creator of both mind and spirit. He's not likely to switch off the desire immediately. We are made free, which includes freedom to fail. But he will forgive you, love you and help you to redirect your thoughts to more noble ones. I really like the Apostle Paul's words in Philippians, Chapter 4: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable --- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy --- think about such things."

Next up: Things I Want To Be . . .
STEVE