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SimplicitySeptember 9, 2008Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." - Genesis 22:1-2 Preparing for the birth of a baby is not a practice in simplicity. Logically, I know that babies do not need much. Newborns don’t need toys or musical mobiles or even a vibrating bouncy seat. They will somehow manage to survive without possessing these things. This was my logic when I was first preparing for my daughter’s arrival. When it came time to go to Babies R Us and pick up some necessities for the baby, four hours later I emerged with a printed out booklet of about fifteen pages of "necessities" for the baby. You might laugh, but this is how most of us live. We don’t need most of the junk in our lives. We could do with out television, SUVs, and ice cream. We fill our homes, cars, our lives with things that frankly just aren’t necessary. If we were asked to pick out five outfits and get rid of all of our clothes, we would resist the command. Logical people know that things don’t make us happy; however, we are still resistant in giving up our possessions. In Genesis 22, God asks Abraham to give up his most prized possession, his son Isaac. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son as a burnt offering to God. You can imagine that this request was met with great resistance from Abraham. He was caught between losing the apple of his eye and being faithful to God. How could he possibly choose? In the end, Abraham surrenders to God’s request and presents Isaac as a sacrifice. Just at the point of no return, God stops Abraham and commends him for his faithfulness. It sounds like a cruel joke for God to play. How could God ask for a father to kill his son and then say, "Never mind?" We will never understand the mind of God, but we can learn a valuable lesson from this story. In asking Abraham to give up his most valuable possession, God was reminding Abraham on the correct order of things. God should be the first and foremost treasured possession in our lives, even above our family. Although most Christians logically know this, it is a difficult lesson to learn. We all have deeply prized possessions in our lives. It might be things; it might be people. Our affections for them are not inherently bad; however, they must not replace God as the center of our self-life. As a Christian this is still difficult for me to grasp as I am an extremely family-focused person. If my family needs me, I will be there no matter what else I have going on. What are your most prized possessions of the material world and of the heart? Do these things define the core of who you are or does your self understanding first and foremost come from God? In a world of priorities and commitments, God is calling us to practice simplicity. Simplicity still allows our heart to have affections, but reminds us that God should be first and foremost in our lives. Prayer: Loving God, you desire to be my most prized possession. In my life there is a lot of clutter which sometimes makes you hard to find. Free me from the tyranny of things so that I may put you first in my life. Amen. For more informationRev. Leigh Martin |
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