How do I know when I am becoming too materialistic? How do I recognize when those natural possessions have become too important to me?
Entangled is to be caught up in or twisted in some type of vine. Believe me it is not the grapevine of God. Entangled to me means something woven tightly together so that one is inhibited from moving about freely.
Ok, so what about materialism? There is nothing wrong with owning nice things. In fact, God wants us to obtain nice things. But we are not to allow those material possessions to become so ingrained in our hearts they become the central focus of our lives.
Our souls, emotions, and desires are not to become so ensnared, entangled, and caught up in the things of the world that we become meshed together with them. When someone thinks of me (Dianne), I hope they do not think of me and the car I drive or the clothes I wear or the house I live in as being part of me. Likewise, I hope I do not think that those things make up myself.
How do you know if you've become materialistic? How do you know if natural possessions mean too much to you?
Well, I remember a few years back, Dick and I felt God wanted us to move to Florida --lock, stock and barrel. We packed up our personal possessions, loaded a truck, and headed to our Florida home. The most difficult decision for Dick to make was to let our Rhode Island home go. It was the home we reared a family, other family members resided in Rhode Island , and so did long loved friends. There were lots of tears, joys, memorable moments in that home. Could we let it all go?
Needless to say, we placed the house on the market and said, Lord, if it is your desire for us to move the house will sell. This was a TEST. Doors of ministry seemed to open up, opportunity seem to present itself as the Lord would bless this move. The decision was made and plans began. Then all doors closed and the house did not sell. A big TEST… I believed we passed.
There was another time when I invited a young Christian woman and her children over for some lunch. During the cause of their visit, I was scurrying around the kitchen preparing lunch, talking, laughing and enjoying their company. Her small children were just themselves, giggling and eating. Then an accident occurred. A glass tipped over and smashed to the floor. At the same time, I proceeded to drop a very nice glass picture! SMASH *@#&* WOW, what a sound. I turned around and said," Woops, an accident!" Her young child was startled; there was no cussing and no reprimanding. It was an accident.
I did not think much of it until she told me, "WOW, you are great. You did not even get upset. That was an expensive vase and my child was very unruly causing an accident." "It was just an accident, I replied, and no one got hurt from the broken glass.. The glass is replaceable."
Could you give your treasured possession up if the Lord asked you to? Or have they become so woven into the very fabric of your life that you are now entangled in them? Only you and the Holy Spirit know the answers to these questions.
Do everything in your power to keep the temporal things of this world in the right perspective. Keep them in your hands, but out of your heart.
Believe me we are in a war! It is a war with principalities and powers of demonic forces of this world! If we are so caught up with things, satan will use the things of this world to bind us and hold us hostage so we will be hindered to carry out the mission the Lord has given us!
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you areas of your life that need to be "untangled" and brought back into balance. Then, after He speaks to you, it is up to you to STAY untangled from those natural affairs of life!
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