[Job] said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” Job 1:21
“A heart filled with contentment can soar above any pulls… A few of my colleagues buy a new dress every week, mobiles [phones] every six months, change cars every two years, buy houses every five years, and change their jobs every four years…
From childhood, my parents taught that God had given us what we needed, and how privileged we were as many lacked what we had… My peers made fun and looked down on our house without extravaganzas, like modular kitchens, our low-end Indian cars, and our choice of eat-outs.
Nevertheless, God has give us (my husband and me), the heart of contentment and their talks or looks could not put any pressure on us to change the way we do. Simplicity, a grateful heart for all that God has given and sharing with those who are in need should mark our lives…
Properties and possessions have the power to grip with a craze for more and detour our journey of faith. Job’s life showcases how earthly possessions can vanish in no time. Through conscious efforts, we can detach ourselves from the passion for possession.”
Joy Esther Jebaraj in “Contentment” in Management Devotional 2018 (Chennai: Christian Institute for Management) reading for June 7.
While the language of today’s post reflects the heart of an Indian sister in Christ, the heart of this message relates to all of us. We must resist the passion for possession, for trying to own things. Whatever we think we own, owns us because God owns everything.
How do we detach? We must attach to God and His perspective on possessions. Only when we realize how privileged we are to enjoy and share things do we realize simplicity marks the only pathway to freedom and enjoyment. No one can enjoy anything when they are a slave to it. No one!
Do things have you gripped “with a craze for more” and have they sent your faith off track? If so, is it time to recalculate the route back home? Take the posture of Job. Everyone came into this world naked and leaves that way. The only treasures we can take with us are those we have given away.
What do I take with me from India as I depart tomorrow? I have a deep sense of joy, and my faith is stronger as well. What a privilege it has been to facilitate strategic meetings in four key cities! God has stirred an awakening in accountability. Ministry administrators, chartered accountants, legal and other professionals desire to champion peer accountability.
Today’s turnout for the New Delhi event was very encouraging. The heat has been intense, another 110°F day. Also for a number of reasons just a few days before the event, we had to change the location of the meetings, and still some 75 to 100 influential people came. Praise the Lord!
When I say influential, I mean one of Supreme Court Justices of India, the Postmaster General of India, mission and denomination leaders, the heads of the Christian legal, management, and chartered accountant groups, to name a few examples. As it was determined that a church would be an unsafe venue, thankfully an official arranged our meeting at, of all places, a government building just down the street from the U.S. Embassy.
Will it result in greater generosity among the people of India toward God’s work? Over time, undoubtedly. In the short run, skilled people must do the hard work of helping ministries comply with standards for faithful administration and setting up accreditation processes to verify compliance. Such work builds trust for people to give to God’s work.
In their own words: “The future of India is in our hands.”
Father in heaven, these consultations have been described as “a gift from God for such a time as this.” With outside funding becoming increasingly limited due to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act among other factors, by your Holy Spirit, set up accountability structures through their efforts to build trust and rally generous giving from within this nation for your work for your glory. Do this I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
And Happy 21st Birthday to my daughter, Sophie. If there’s anyone who is detached from possessions and attached to Christ its her! God bless you Sophie! Attachment to Christ marks your life! I love you!