"How blest are the poor in spirit; the reign of God is theirs." (Matthew 5:3)
The
word “poverty” can really unnerve me. I like
having food in the cupboard and a stack of books by my side and a computer on
which to blog. As a resident of this
world, I need to be equipped to live within it, as well as to serve
others.
The good news is: if I embrace the spirit of poverty, I can
still continue to have what I need to live a “normal” life.
The
better news is that my ultimate security is not centered in what I own or where
I live.
My security is in God alone. He will provide for me. I can trust Him.
My security is in God alone. He will provide for me. I can trust Him.
If I have given myself over to God, I do not even own “me.” The poverty of a cloistered heart is that of
a person holding no ownership of self.
My goal is to give myself totally and freely to God by a deliberate act
of my will, and to thereafter trust that He is making use of my life as HE desires, for His glory and for the
outworking of His plan.
Which will mean I am no longer my own.
For
reflection and prayer:
“Do not lay up for yourselves an earthly treasure. Moths and rust corrode; thieves break in and steal. Make it your practice instead to store up heavenly treasure, which neither moths nor rust corrode nor thieves break in and steal. Remember, wherever your treasure is, there your heart is also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
Text not in quotes
(Painting: Girl with Hay Rake by Winslow Homer 1878)
“Do not lay up for yourselves an earthly treasure. Moths and rust corrode; thieves break in and steal. Make it your practice instead to store up heavenly treasure, which neither moths nor rust corrode nor thieves break in and steal. Remember, wherever your treasure is, there your heart is also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
Text not in quotes
(Painting: Girl with Hay Rake by Winslow Homer 1878)
