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The deep and fierce passion to possess. It may be the greatest temptation of all.
A.W. Tozer writes in his book, The Pursuit of God, and calls this
the ‘monstrous substitution’.
A.W. Tozer writes in his book, The Pursuit of God, and calls this
the ‘monstrous substitution’.
“There is within the human heart a tough, fibrous root of fallen life whose nature is to possess, always possess. It covets things with a deep and fierce passion… Things have become necessary to us, a development never originally intended. God’s gifts now take the place of God, and the whole course of nature is upset by the monstrous substitution”.
I commit this substitution when I talk, act or think as though I own my work, my time, my family, my success, my reputation, and almost always - my possessions. In so doing, I become enslaved by them all. This is the exact opposite of the life God created for me to live. I wake up one day to the realization that I am the proud owner of a whole lot of 'stuff'. I have become a reservoir.
However, when I worship God and serve Him only, I keep myself from being ‘enslaved’ by these other masters. Think about it. As Christ’s follower, I am not driven to possess, but to love and serve in accordance to Christ’s instructions and at the pace of His provision. Let me repeat that… I am not driven to possess, but to love and serve in accordance to Christ’s instructions and at the pace of His provision. I am not the owner, but the steward of God's provisions. As a result, I am a river.
However, when I worship God and serve Him only, I keep myself from being ‘enslaved’ by these other masters. Think about it. As Christ’s follower, I am not driven to possess, but to love and serve in accordance to Christ’s instructions and at the pace of His provision. Let me repeat that… I am not driven to possess, but to love and serve in accordance to Christ’s instructions and at the pace of His provision. I am not the owner, but the steward of God's provisions. As a result, I am a river.
Obedience to God results in:
loving people and using money or ‘possessions’,
rather than loving money and my possessions and using people.
Now to this simple-minded ‘old’ guy, that is the difference between being
a reservoir or a river.
Do I have the courage to be a RIVER and not a RESERVOIR?
loving people and using money or ‘possessions’,
rather than loving money and my possessions and using people.
Now to this simple-minded ‘old’ guy, that is the difference between being
a reservoir or a river.
Do I have the courage to be a RIVER and not a RESERVOIR?
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