Greetings, Glen Mar!
We continue in the Lenten series on the Desert Mothers and Fathers this week, and we are going to talk about a touchy topic: possessions. Specifically, we will examine when our possessions end up possessing us, or in other biblical words: when they become idols in our lives.
What is an idol? To think about biblical idols, we remember how the Israelites worshipped the golden calf in the desert while Moses stood on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments. They fell before it, paid homage to it, and reveled in its presence as if “it” could do anything. At the same time, I don’t see too many people falling and worshipping objects these days in the same way. So, what might an idol be for us today? A simple answer would be anything that we give our time, attention, and devotion to, that we seek to find our fulfillment in. I think that’s the key. An idol, then, is not just anything…but it is something that we make an end in itself…when in fact, there is no other true end but God.
The Desert Monastic and eventual martyr, Hyperichius, said, “To accept poverty freely is the monk’s treasure. Therefore, my brother, lay up treasure in heaven, where there will be endless time for rest.”
We spend so much time acquiring possessions, college degrees, good reputations, and whatever else we can that makes life seem better, that we forget the one thing that matters. Again, it’s not necessarily bad that we seek after these, but when they become the end of our desires, we must realize that they have taken over a space in our heart that belongs to God alone. This is when those things become an idol in our lives.
Hobbies have a way of taking over that space for me. I go into them thinking that they will be fun, but I end up devoting more and more of my “free time” to them while giving less time to God.
So then, what does our true happiness depend on? Getting the next thing? Achieving another degree? No. Each of these might satisfy for a moment or a time, but in reality, they won’t fill the space in our heart that is reserved for God and God alone.
Hyperichius believed so much in renouncing possessions and the risk of falling into the temptation of worshipping idols that he, along with others like Romanus and James, died as martyrs because they denounced idol worship in 297 A.D.
Do we take this temptation as seriously as they did, or are we more comfortable with our comfort? Are we happier with seeking after all the things, or might we gain some wisdom by intentionally minimizing our possessions and reordering our desires? Perhaps this Lent, we can find a way to get rid of the clutter, or at least not seek after more, and instead rejoice in laying up treasure in heaven rather than simply seeking to store more junk in the attic.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Chris
P.S. Don’t miss this week’s video about Syncletica of Alexandria!
