Bank

Luke 12:29-34 (The Message)

"What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving.

People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works.

Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don't be afraid of missing out.

You're my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself.

"Be generous. Give to the poor.

Get yourselves a bank that can't go bankrupt, a bank in heaven far from bankrobbers, safe from embezzlers, a bank you can bank on.

It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.

Where do we put our treasure? Only in FDIC insured savings institutions, right?

We pay attention to our treasure, and where we place it. We put it in things we trust, right?

Well, if you looked at your check register (or 21st century version, you're online checking account activity), where does your treasure really go?

Wal-mart? Gas station? Kroger?

Where else?

Lottery tickets?

Cell phone?

Cable?

Restaurants?

Entertainment?

Cigarettes?

Car payments?

Alcohol?

The poor?

Generosity?

Look, I'm not meddling...just asking. Asking you to consider asking yourself.

I'm saying that we should consider where we do our banking...our investing.

Not just with the material possessions that we have, but where we bank our trust. Where do we "bank" relationship and faith? Where do we "bank" our giving?

I'm asking us to consider our preoccupations. And how those preoccupations keep us from really living our lives to the fullest.

Generosity and positive investment gets harder as times get tighter. $4 gas hasn't helped anybody's disposable income flow.

But that's really exactly the point that Jesus makes.

How much might we be able to "relax," if we really believed that he would always provide?

That kind of faith makes it easier to make deposits in life's faith "bank." And right investment has the effect of increasing our faith.

It's a wonderful, spiraling circle, moving us further and further into a life of faith and giving.

Let's take a second to check the ledger, and see how our faith deposits are growing.

Prayer: We need your help, Father, if we are to trust and gain generosity. We pray that you would teach us to really know that our needs will be met, so that we can put our treasure in the right places.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.