The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing

"There can be no doubt that this possessive clinging to things is one of the most
harmful habits in life. Because it is so natural, it is rarely recognized
for the evil that it is. But its outworkings are tragic." (20)

I am reading A. W. Tozer's The Pursuit of God. My wise husband encouraged me to read it, and I have found many powerful and important nuggets of information about our relationship with our Heavenly Father. I am only now on chapter 4, but each chapter is short and deeper than many lengthy and wordy books that cross my path. I find myself rereading each chapter before I can move on to the next.

Chapter 2 is entitled The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing. Tozer points to the fact that when God first created man, he had already prepared an earth full of things for entertainment, pleasure and usefulness. However, these items were all external and were to be under man's authority. God was above man, and only God was to be in the shrine of the heart of man. Then sin changed these dynamics. Since sin entered the world, "stuff" and people mistakenly dwell in the hearts of man, leaving God to a secondary place in our priorities.

Tozer states, "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." (16)

We have all failed miserably at the first commandment. There is the constant struggle to not put "idols" before the Lord our God. We fail miserably.

Tozer gives the example of Abraham. He was asked to give up his cherished and long awaited son. People read this story and cringe. God couldn't possibly require the life of someone's child, they assume. Is that opinion or Biblical? God will not be dismissed to a lesser position, and even children, spouses and family should not come close to standing where we place God in our lives. Anything we "possess" is really God's and not ours. We have no right to ask the Potter why He does what He does with His clay. Read the accounts of David or Job. They certainly were asked to give up family at some point, both for different reasons. This is given a less shocking light when our perspective is adjusted to realize all people, lives, things, and time are the Lord's. We never lose them. They are never ours. God graciously loans us and entrusts us with people and things to enrich our lives.

"We are often hindered from giving up our treasures to the Lord out of fear for
their safety. This is especially true when those treasures are loved
relatives or friends. But we need have no such fears. Our Lord came
not to destroy but to save. Everything is safe which we commit to Him, and
nothing is really safe which is not so committed." (20)

As Christ says in Matthew 16:24-25, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it."

I know we all struggle with this sin, and I pray that you recognize God's sovereignty in all things, even the giving and taking of your possessions. Start each day by giving it to him before you can sinfully think otherwise. It is when we cling to time, people or things, that we selfishly get upset when our presumptions are not the reality. Our obedience will be apparent when we submit to Him and ask God what to do with our time, people in our lives, or things with which He has blessed us. Don't let your perspective or possessions inhibit your pursuit of God.