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Daily Devotional for September 30

September 30                                                 Matthew 6:19-24


   "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth... lay
  up for yourselves treasures in heaven... for where your
              treasure is, there will your heart be also."


Material things, though they can provide ease and comfort,
can also rule us if we are not careful. We find ourselves wanting
a "new and improved" microwave, even though the old one
is perfectly fine. We buy gadgets to help us care for our other
gadgets. Last year's computer system, which was state-of-the-
art, is already outdated this year. Short skirts, which were in
last year, are out this year. The merry-go-round never stops,
for there is always a new fashion, a more deluxe model, a better
brand - we can never have enough.


"Instead of impressing people with your possessions, impress
them with your life," says an old Quaker maxim. Each time
we choose to concentrate on seeking God's reign, we are
choosing to let go of material things, and grow closer to God.
When our lives are filled with the search for God and the ful-
fillment of God's will, material things begin to lose their
importance. We find letting go easier.


My friend Tony taught me a lot about both giving and giving
up. He was an actor whose room was as plain as a bomb shelter,
yet his parties were well attended, for he had more friends
than anyone I've ever known. If you gave him a gift, he
thanked you and enjoyed it to the full, but he often didn't keep
it for long - eventually he gave it away if he didn't absolutely
need it. If you admired something of his, he often offered it
to you, whether it was a bicycle or book. People who tended
to hoard things usually had less love in their lives than Tony,
who never hoarded.


Today, seek to let go of things in your life that you are clutch-
ing. Eliminate those things that may be keeping you from a
deeper union with God. Take a step toward freedom. Give
up something you don't really need, and focus on Christ,
whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light.

From The Road to Emmaus - An inclusive devotional Edited by Joseph W. Houle

Emmaus House of Prayer - Washington D.C.1989

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