Repenting for the sin of selfishness and greed
Deuteronomy 15:7-11
If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.NLT
This is a difficult thing, the reckoning of wealth and poverty, greed and generosity. It is difficult because it goes beyond the haves and the have-nots, the givers and the hoarders; we put the heart on notice as to our motives and intentions when we are placed in a position to give out of our abundance or our lack of.
In my observations of people, when I have had the honor to serve at a soup kitchen or food pantry, I have watched certain persons that I knew to be stable financially, fill bags with foods and drinks they were not in true need of, and later boast about their booty.
And then there was the mother quietly whispering to her child to put some items back on the shelf for others to claim, fully conscientious of the needs of another, accepting less so that someone else could have more. Having known lack and hunger, she had become generous in her poverty.
Define "poor"
I "double-dog dare" you to slow down (as Michele says), ponder the term, and define the word.
(and you are not allowed to use a dictionary or wikipedia)
💰Money💰
Isn't it an odd word? Words are funny and intriguing to me at times, usually at times like this when I seek to understand why certain things control and hypnotize us into acting so foolishly, and sometimes generously.
Try this one, "digital currency".
Now how did we get to a place where some invisible nothing is assigned to each of us in accordance to what we, as a human being, or a skill we might possess, have been valued .. or not valued.
So what happens to the word 'money' once it is no longer a tangible item? The value we allowed it to have in our lives has just been 'spent'. We can no longer hold it, flaunt it, count it or pass it on. But we will have to prove we have value, once again, by having the invisible currency tethered to us in one form or the other- by way of card in our hands, or hand, as our card (so the ones taking charge of us, tell us).
What happens to greed or generosity when the "thing" on the other end of the invisible digital currency apparatus determines for us, how generous or greedy we are?
Does moral obligation disappear as well?
Ask yourself,
How did we get here?
Why didn't we stop it before it got this far?
Define "poor"
♡
My comfort is my faith (trust) in the LORD of all of creation. I cannot imagine living through these present days, and the days to come, without my hope in Yeshua Messiah. There would be no reason to breathe .. absolutely none.
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When I was in college, someone told me that I live in a utopian world. Honestly, I am a realist, but I still trust in the goodness of most people. I still believe in loving-kindness, butterflies and metamorphosis.
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I spotted bees mating in mid-air once, while friends were knit-picking someone's choice of clothing and hair trend (that actually happened, and it gave everyone a hearty laugh, including me).
One friend said "How did you see that!? My response: "I can zone out of my moment very easily!".
Those are the things I would rather invest my energies in while I yet abide on this amazing planet, created by the hands of a loving Savior. Show me a dancing leaf tethered to an invisible strand of spider silk, and I am hypnotized for the duration.
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I will continue to stop for turtles and injured critters, and do what I can to help them. Nothing gives me a greater sense of belonging than the mountains .. the high places, and the mountain people. I cherish the moments I have had with them, learning from them and being honored to love on them. I anguish with them over their loss of those beautiful mountains due to mountain top removal (strip-mining). And for what? A few minerals? Devastating destruction, poisoned watersheds, and continual loud blasting sounds replace the serenity that was once Appalachia. Those mountain tops can never be replaced, and the people know it.
This is what greed and selfishness does. This is the love of that stuff we call "money".
I love deeply, therefore I hurt deeply. This is a deep, sorrowful wound in the hearts of my brothers and sisters of the mountains, as well as for me.
If this is my utopia, then let me continue my journey here. It is a far kinder place than the one I just described above, the one that is soon to become our dark. stark reality while we yet breathe.
I keep looking up ⬆️ and listening for that loud shout and trumpet. My soul longs for the great "twinkling" .. when I can finally say I am HOME!!
That might sound a bit utopian?
It is about choices, choices to believe or not to believe, to believe in, or not to believe in, and I can certainly do that.
Slow down and stop. Take a deep breath and contemplate what really matters to you. Where are you? What do you care about the most? What or who do you put your trust in. The things of this world are always changing, and very quickly. What do you have left when it is all gone, everything that you considered made you who or what you are now? We just had a massive hurricane barrel through our nation. Lives were brought to a close, and the total destruction of houses and lifestyle upended.
Think Think Think
If you do not have this hope, do not waste one more breath. Trust in Yeshua (Jesus) with all of your heart. Don't try to analyze Him to your understanding. In all of your ways, acknowledge Him as your Savior, and He will direct your path. Believe on Him, and He will embrace you as His own.
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"Money can hold us, or we can hold money" MB
I agree with you, at least for now, Michele.
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