Blessings and Burdens
‘Life is not measured by how much you own.’ Luke 12:15 NLT
In Jules Verne’s novel, The Mysterious Island, five men break out of prison by hijacking a hot air balloon. (Maybe these days an author would choose Uber Air as the escape vehicle, but this was set in the 19th century.)
Anyway, the escapees quickly sense the wind is taking them over the ocean. They see the horizon receding and realise they’re losing altitude. They have no way of heating the air in the balloon, so they begin to throw some excess weight overboard. Shoes, coats and weapons are reluctantly jettisoned, and they rejoice when the balloon begins to rise. But soon they draw dangerously close to the waves again, so they toss their food over the side.
The balloon begins to descend for the third time, and one man suggests they tie together the ropes connecting the balloon to the basket they’re riding in. They then sit on the ropes and cut away the heavy basket. The very floor they had been standing on falls away, and the balloon rises once again. Suddenly they spot land. With not a minute to spare, they jump into the water and swim to an island. Their lives were spared because they learned what they could live without.
Why did Jesus say, ‘A man’s real life in no way depends upon the number of his possessions’? (Luke 12:15 PHPS) Because what you think will be a blessing can end up being a burden. What you seek today may stress you out tomorrow. Jesus said, ‘Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.’ (Matthew 6:32–33 NLT)
SoulFood: Gen 5:22–24, Heb 11:5, 2 Ki 2:1–12, Acts 1:9–11