FAITH IN EVERYDAY LIFE

Seek first the kingdom of God

... Jesus already saw that the people around Him were only too happy to gather earthly treasures and exhaust themselves in the process. Their purpose in life: whoever had gathered the most treasures had lived his life in the best manner possible.

Jesus vigorously shook His head over that idea. Gaining life—giving true purpose to one’s life—is a completely different matter, according to His words! Jesus is of the view that those who gather treasures in heaven have made the best use of their lives. Possessions, wealth, and a good life are all very well, but neither the rich man, nor the wealthy farmer, nor the rich young man were truly happy. The rich man ultimately ended up begging for a drop of water. The rich farmer was called a fool, and the rich young man could not be cheered even by all his possessions. He turned away from the Lord in sadness. Indeed, victors are a truly different lot.

As a child I believed that I would be carefree, happy, and joyful if I had a million dollars—after all, I would have been able to afford anything I wanted. The Lord would likely have smiled gently at so much naiveté. Jesus taught that goods and money have some dreadful companions, namely fear and worry. There is the daily worry that one might have missed out on a great opportunity to become even richer. There is the fear of thieves stealing everything, of one’s wealth losing in value over time, or that one might lose a penny or two. Such fear and care rob us of time and energy. Jesus sketched out a very different picture: trust in the Lord even in matters of daily life. Then your care will disappear, and all fear will be superfluous ... art

more "Reflections" in Our Family, No. 5 / May 2012 (Photo by Elke and Günther Werner)