When Did I Get So Attached?

If you ask me, I think I’m pretty detached from money, status and things of the world. After all, I gave up having my nails done so I could give that money to a charity. I only buy clothes on sale. I spend way less money than most of my friends. I can always tell myself that I am doing better than others. But how am I doing really? I needed someone to challenge me.

I got that challenge in the way of a Bible study I am taking that is asking me to consider the ways I indulge myself way too much. It’s been a wake-up call to the discrepancy between what I think I believe and what I live out. So far, I have far more food items in my kitchen than others (I have just two people at home, and I don’t even have a pantry); my clothing number is higher than I guessed and much higher than the leader. It all adds up to the fact that I am more attached to this world than I let myself realize.

The question is Why? When? How? My answers are that it happened when I wasn’t looking. I wasn’t looking at God for His wisdom about what I bought and what I ate. I was just going with the flow of the world and these things seemed important. I didn’t consider whether these things were worthy of my love; I just knew that I enjoyed them.

I got so attached because I didn’t have my priorities straight. Rather than Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33), I followed my fleshly desires. My fleshly desires led me straight into a bondage I wasn’t even aware I experienced.

Guigo 1 says, Desiring exquisite food and clothing is like painting firewood. These things are consumables. Clothes keep you warm regardless of their color. Common foods will satisfy your hunger. Desire what is right for you.

What is right for me is to seek God first, then I won’t get so unhealthily attached to overabundance. Having more is not only embarrassing—especially when the leader of the Bible study has a family of six and less food in her kitchen (and I’m sure she has a pantry). I better watch out so that Ezekiel 16:49 won’t be said about me too--Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.

Now I have a new problem. I not only have to recognize that I have too much, I have to find the time and place to get rid of some of the things that I have. How am I going to do that? I better start seeking first God’s kingdom and get His wisdom about getting rid of it before I make an even bigger mess of things!

It’s time to get unattached. Now that is soothing to a soul!

A Pilgrimage that Started with Tears

Who would think I would shed tears deciding to set out on a wonderful journey that I have longed to take for many years? Before I was ready to fully accept God’s invitation for a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, I had to journey to a place of agreement between what my soul wanted and what the Lord wanted for me. For years I have been declining opportunities to travel to Israel—not because I didn’t want to go but because I wanted to go with my husband by my side. I know that God could have arranged that for me, but instead He asked me to accept that He wanted me to be willing to go and leave everything behind. When I was asked to make a decision about going on a Pilgrimage to Jerusalem, God gave me this verse in answer to my prayer -- Debi, observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are cr...

The Effects of the Holy Spirit

The Effects of the Holy Spirit Can you imagine that the very Spirit of God is given to humans who believe in God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection? Just thinking about the Holy Spirit makes me realize that I can do better. I am not left to my own resources when it comes to praying, having faith, obeying God, doing what He asks me to do. No one understands the depth of sin’s effect on a soul better than God. Every action He takes has been to reduce the effect of evil that was unleashed into our world when sin was merged into His perfect universe. We never saw it coming. Even Adam and Eve did not see what hit them. God has counteracted with the effect of faith after sin by enabling sinners to be affected by His ho...

Why Me?

When something tragic or unexpected happens, our first question seems to be, Why me? It’s only human to feel this way and wonder why life has got to be so hard. God has helped me look at my unwanted circumstances with a different question. Rather than keep the focus on my pain and ask, Why me? I focus on Him and wonder, How can You be glorified when everything is going wrong? Adding one more word to that question makes a huge difference spiritually and opens my soul to find so much more than just my pain. Another way to look at life’s tragedies is, Why not me ? Sure, we each have our own amount of personal sorrows. These are the kind of sorrows that have no answers. We can't explain away death, cancer, rape, bankruptcy and other heartaches. It is easier to explain...

Soul Sister Time

Search This Blog