Day Four...Be On Guard

Each weekday morning, I reach for my phone and work through the ritual:

• Check texts, email, tweets, and weather
• If I have time, see what's new at Drudge and Fox News
• Read the verse of the day from Daily Bible (not meant to be sole source of spiritual nourishment, but helps kick start the day).

By the time I'm finished, I'm typically alert enough to get out of bed without landing on my nose.  If you're not a morning person, maybe you can sympathize!  They say most people are in  their deep sleep stage around 3-5 a.m.  I'm convinced that mine occurs around 7.  Anyway, that's my excuse and I don't have another that sounds as good, so that will have to do for now.  :-)

Although it may sound simple, the verse of the day usually has great significance for my circumstances or situation that I face that day, and I'm thankful that God cares enough to use just a few words to give me courage, comfort, or contentment.

I wanted to use this morning's verse as a springboard for Day 4 of Thirteen Days to Thankful.  It is found in Luke 12:15 where Jesus says, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."  I love reading the words that came right from the mouth of Jesus.  Although the whole Bible is inspired by God, there is something special to me about the instructions that God's Son gave to common people during His short years on earth. 

Every single day my mailbox and newspapers are loaded with temptation.  Especially during this 6-8 week period preceding Christmas.  Can you believe how much these department stores spend on mailers and ads?  In Sunday's paper, one of the local jewelers had published what was practically a book featuring their products.  Although I know their profits are huge this time of year, I could hardly believe that they could justify something like that!  And it's not just my mailbox and newspaper that have me tempted.  When I blog hop, I see beautiful homes, well-dressed kids, attractive wardrobes, and other 'things' would try to trap me in the sin of covetousness.

Jesus knew human nature would be lured by the desire for things that others have, and he specifically warns us to be on guard against it.  He challenges us to work toward the things that really count, and to invest in eternal riches, rather than material possessions that will ultimately pass away. 

We tend to think that children are the ones who have the most difficulty with covetousness, but how many times is our own attitude mirrored in theirs?  It's overwhelming to think about our responsibility as examples.

"You say, 'If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.' You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled."

 --Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Action Step:  Read Luke 12 and ask God to weed out all traces of covetousness in your life.  Then dig to find the real reasons for your covetous spirit.  Are you discontented?  Do you live to impress?  Are there misplaced priorities in your life?  There are many reasons why we would be tempted to this sin, but when we seek to pinpoint our personal motivation, we become better armed for resistance.