Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
“The supreme characteristic of His love is infinite freedom. It cannot be compelled to respond by the laws of any desire, that is, of any necessity. It is without limitation because it is without need. Being without need, His love seeks out the needy, not in order to give them little, but in order to give them all. His love cannot be at peace in a soul that is content with a little. For to be content with a little is to will to continue in need. It is not God’s will that we should remain in need. He would fulfill all our needs by delivering us from all possessions and giving us Himself in exchange. If we would belong to His love, we must remain always empty of everything else, not in order to be in need, but precisely because possessions make us needy.”
Thomas Merton (1915-1968) in No Man is an Island (Boston: Shambhala, 2005) 255.
The best part about this Intersection Conference has been the rich discussions with pastors from Southern California, New York, New Jersey, Chicago, and South Korea. While my biblical teaching has gotten them thinking, it has been the testimony of what it’s like for our family to follow Jesus in obedience, that has moved the hearts of many. Praise God!
Repeatedly this weekend I reported that while Jesus may not appear to make sense when it comes to His teachings on money, it is because He’s trying to invite us to take hold of life according to a whole different economy. We don’t figure it out until we live it out. Most people think obedience will leave them empty, so they freeze with fear.
Or, as Merton would say, they are “content with a little.” Life in the fast lane in New York City left Merton empty. Only in letting go of what could not satisfy did he find satisfaction in Christ. If you are holding on to possessions let them go. They only make you needy. Hold on to Jesus. His love is all you need, and you’ll overflow with generosity.