The
Dead Sea Syndrome
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be
on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not
consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
Luke 12:15
The wealthiest man in town, B.J.
Carlitto, attended Winterville Christian Assembly. So when the
Finance Committee met to discuss soliciting donations for
construction of the new sanctuary, they decided to ask B.J. for a
contribution.
Sitting in his spacious living room,
they posed the question, “Seeing as you have been blessed with so
much wealth, B.J., we figured you would like to make a sizable
donation to the church’s building fund.”
“So, you’ve got this all figured
out, do you?” he responded. “Did you know,” he asked, “that
my widowed sister has no means of support?”
“No. We were not aware of that,”
they replied.
“And,” he continued, “are you
also unaware that my brother was injured in an accident and has no
way of working to support his family?”
“No. We did not,” they replied,
somewhat embarrassed.
“And did you know that my mother is
in a nursing home that charges thousands of dollars a month for her
care?” he added, a note of triumph in his voice.
Chastised, the men said, “No, B.J.,
we didn’t. We’re truly sorry for assuming.”
“As you can see,” B.J. said, “many
people need my great wealth.” He paused, and to their utter
amazement concluded with, “I haven’t given them one red
cent. What makes you think you’re so special?!”
†
What a sad testament to the nature of
greed. When we hoard what God has given us we become a stagnant pool
instead of a flowing river of blessing.
Unlike the Sea of Galilee, where
aquatic life abounds, there is no life in the Sea of Arabah (The
Great Salt Sea or Dead Sea). That is because there is no exiting
stream; water flows in but not out. Without the constant refreshing
that occurs when water flows through a body of water, life is
unsustainable.
Just like the Sea of Arabah, many
people only consume, never knowing the satisfaction and fulfillment
that come from being used by God to bless others.
When we hold on too tightly to what God
has given us we are missing the point. God does not bless us so we
alone prosper. He gives in the hopes we will become rivers of living
water.
Prayer
“Lord, may Your
blessings always flow through me. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
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