JESUS FOLLOWER
In this world, those who follow Jesus Christ never find a permanent home. We find peace with God through Christ, the ultimate place of rest.
When we sold our property in Tennessee, my Mother could have been like a lot of retired Americans. She could’ve gone on a month long European cruise, upgraded to a luxury sedan or built a beautiful home in a gated community.
People think that building wealth or taking pride in their accomplishments is where happiness dwells. Ecclesiastes and other parts of the Bible say it is an illusion. False promises from the world. Chasing the wind.
The way God gives us enjoyment in His gifts is by giving us a renewing perspective of ourselves.
Life in God’s world is a gift, not gain.
Unlike some American “Christians”, Mom did not seek a financial advisor from the world. We were far from wealthy financially, so she knew what we had gained would not last once its intended use became prevalent. It is more blessed to give than to receive.
“You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. And he gives grace generously.…Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil…
…Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” James 4
The Gospel of Luke (12:13-21) recounts Jesus telling a parable of a rich fool. Here it is paraphrased.
A rich man experiences an incredible harvest.
Instead of sharing his resources generously and sacrificially, he decides he will build bigger barns to store everything for his future comfort and indulgence.
That very night, 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?"
The man was a fool—not because he was wealthy or planned for the future—but because he prioritized material possessions and self-indulgence above Godly wisdom and sacrifice.
The lesson?
• Life is not defined by possessions: A person's true life does not consist in the abundance of their material wealth.
• Warns against greed: The parable serves as a strong caution against covetousness and the selfish hoarding of resources.
• The importance of being "rich toward God": True wealth is found in a spiritual richness, not in material accumulation.
• The limitations of life: Earthly possessions are temporary, and everyone will face death, making it crucial to invest in lasting spiritual values.
• A call to generosity: Instead of selfishly hoarding, individuals should use their resources to be a blessing to others.
Here’s how to sever the root, stop the rot, and kill the evil: spend your money on others. Give it away. Do it regularly, gladly, generously—and you will be happy.
You’ll know you’re doing it like Jesus, if it costs. The way to begin to do it is to find the things in your heart that you think you cannot do without and give them away to people in great need.
We must grasp a Christ-like perspective on death before we can grasp a Christ-like perspective on life.
“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?
Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.” 1 John 3:16-!9
Give up our lives for our brothers and sisters?
That doesn’t sound like your ‘goals’ does it?
My Mother downgraded to an old Ford Ranger. We bought someone else a nice vehicle who did not have one at all. She has no desire for another ‘vacation’.
We lived on vacation for seven years…then we gave up beautiful lake/Mountain Views every morning to live in the smallest house in a neighborhood that was built during the 1970s. Being out of debt while being able to bless someone less fortunate has proven to be a very freeing experience in her sunset years. It’s ’little things’ in life that mean so much, a favorite poem she penned many years ago while doing little things. Little things; she continues to ‘do’ them when the Spirit of the Lord prompts her to ‘do’ when she sees a need that she can meet…be it a kind word spoken, a meal prepared during an illness or loss, or a fresh loaf of bread, baked in her kitchen; Cutting a neighbor’s lawn, who is physically not able to cut her own, running errands or taking a son to work whose car is in disrepair…having a servant’s heart in spite of inconvenience at times.
Why? Because Jesus said, “when you do it unto the least of these, you’ve done it unto Me.”
Meanwhile, we are quietly paying for other disadvantaged people to go on a vacation, putting appliances in peoples’ homes and building a small homestead to accommodate at least eight people in another country. Hard-working, oppressed people who can’t afford a home loan. Meeting needs to improve a lifestyle that otherwise knows little improvement has been a testimony of obedience to God’s will, pushing our will to the back burner.
We traded comfort for truth.
We gave up the approval of man for obedience to God.
“Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4
If you can live in this world in such a way that the person or people beside you—your friend, your spouse, your children, your brother, your sister, the people God has put in your path—are your waking concern and your dominant focus, then you will find happiness. If your head hits the pillow at night full of questions about how you might help and serve someone else, and how you can be a certain kind of person for them, then you will find a gladness and a contentment like nothing else. “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” We strive for it daily.
Josh Parham
©️September 16,2025
