The desires of our hearts

Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” Luke 12:16-21

From our text, the Lord Jesus Christ gave a story on the folly of selfishness that results to becoming greedy. He told the crowd the story about the rich man and provided them a warning when a person has misdirected priorities. God does not want those that trusted Him as Lord and Savior to not lose perspective on what should matter in life. The rich man missed on God’s plan because he focused more on his wealth and lose sight of God’s desire for His life. He provided for himself and because of greed, he was not willing to share the material blessings that God gave. He attributed all he had in his own abilities and so he felt justified to keep everything to himself. He became shortsighted that he thought only of himself. There is always a consequence to misplaced priorities. This rich man passed away with no opportunity to enjoy his goods. Even worse, he died with a bankrupt soul. Serving the Lord and His kingdom is the key to setting proper goals. When believers decide that serving God should be the priority, God will provide them wisdom so they will not be tempted to pursuing satisfying one’s own selfish appetite. He will help them order their priorities. So, when God blesses them materially, the question they will ask is "Lord, what would You have me do with these blessings so I can honor you?" Answer to such question should be sought prayerfully and biblically evaluated. Such attitude will help dictate putting things in order for the purpose of achieving God's purposes for our lives. Life does not happen simply by accident. Where you are today is determined largely by the way you had prioritized your concerns in previous months and years. This means we can significantly impact our future by organizing our priorities according to biblical guidelines. Then, unlike the rich, foolish man in Jesus' parable, we will learn that God blesses us so we could bless others. More than that, we will obey Jesus' command; "Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be" (Matthew 6:20-21).

Blessings,

Noel De Guzman

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