Bigger barns

In the gospel of Luke 12:13-21, Jesus shares his thoughts on earthly possessions. Someone from the crowd says to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."

Jesus responds by telling the man that he was not appointed a judge to make this decision. He also tells the crowd,"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.

And as so many other times in the gospels, Jesus shares a parable with the crowd.

Jesus tells of a man who has an abundance of wealth, especially crops. The crops are overflowing and the man doesn't know what to do. So he decides to tear down his barns and build bigger barns.

This seems like a logical thing to do. What may seem logical to us may also be sinful and greedy. God wants us to use our resources for his kingdom, not ours.

In the story, God tells the man, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" Granted, the man in the parable may have a wife and a house full of kids, but the man won't get to enjoy any of the abundance. Plus, the man could have used the overflowing problem to help feed the poor.

This convicts me for sure. It is so easy for me to want to keep pouring into "my kingdom" by investing in stocks, IRA's, and saving my money. And for what? My life could end any day. Investing in itself isn't bad, it's just what I plan to do with the wealth that is gained.

Jesus wants us to be rich towards God. He wants us to work hard with the goal of furthering his kingdom by loving others and sharing the hope of Jesus Christ with them instead of furthering our own kingdom.