Waiting and Listening
There’s an old story about a little Church that was having a homecoming service for members who had moved away. One former member who attended was a man who had become extremely wealthy. He, along with others in the congregation, was giving testimony on their Faith experience.
The rich man spoke of when, as a little boy in that same Church, he had earned his first dollar – a silver dollar. “I had decided,” he said, “to keep it forever. But a visiting preacher came to the Church and spoke about the urgent need for funds in his mission work. Consequently, when the offering basket was passed, a great struggle took place within me. As a result, I put my treasured silver dollar in the basket. And I am convinced that God has blessed me so richly because I gave God everything I possessed when I was a boy.” The congregation was captivated by the wealthy man’s moving testimony until a woman in the front pew rose up and said, “Brother, I dare you to do it again!”
Today materialism (things) is the goal, and it seems almost certain that it will dominate far into the future. The old slogan, “He who dies with the most toys wins,” says it all. Materialism has become an obsession, and it’s addictive. The more you have, the more you want. Or, as a Roman motto expressed it, “Money is like seawater. The more you drink, the thirstier you get.” We all attach a certain amount of importance to our earthly possessions. And some attach the utmost importance to money and things. But whether we’ve managed to put together a little or a lot, one thing is certain: the time will come when we leave all of it, and I mean all of it!
The Good News we have received from our Lord Jesus Christ is that we have been created for life with God. We are like branches that need to be nourished by the main Vine, Jesus tells us. And if we allow ourselves to become detached from the life-giving Vine, we begin to wither and die. We cannot be who we have been created to be on our own power. Try as you will, you simply cannot. There is a saying I heard a long time ago: ”Let go and Let God.” I have found it to be the answer to many of life’s problems. God is always waiting and listening to hear your voice. The question is, are you waiting and listening to hear His voice?