The Temptation Of Self Indulgence

"And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing." - Luke 12:16-23

Martie is in Atlanta with our second daughter who is having surgery today. (Please pray for Audrey) So last Sunday I went to church by myself.  As I sat in the pew, I looked around. Of course Florida is in the middle of the "snow-bird" occupation, but I could not help but notice all of the "white hair" in the sanctuary. That got me thinking about why all of those people were in Florida. Isn't it the American dream? Work hard and then take it easy. Sunday, I watched people hobbling to their favorite pew. People with obvious physical limitations. I thought, "Are they still living the dream?" It saddened me actually. Reminded of the man building bigger barns - feathering his nest not knowing that the next day it would not be his nest to feather.

That led to thoughts about my life and what I am living for. A double wide in Florida? Is it possible that I could be like many who try to live the life dreamt of and then try to squeeze God into my schedule, if I didn't have other plans. Or maybe my plans would be hijacked by physical problems that I never imagined would happen to me. But still I would continue to chase after the dream. Convinced that I was entitled to it. What were God's words, oh yeah? "Thou fool!"

Be careful about how you live your life. Keep God first. That does not mean that you can't enjoy your retirement years. But you must be careful that God does not get crowded out of your life and plans in the process.

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." - Proverbs 16:9

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone