Has your blessing become a burden?

“One’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Luke 12:15 NKJV

In Jules Verne’s The Mysterious Island, five men escape a prison by hijacking a hot-air balloon. Quickly they sense the wind is carrying them out over the ocean. They see the horizon receding and realize they are losing altitude. Since they have no way of heating the air in the balloon, they begin to throw some of the excess weight overboard. Shoes, coats, and weapons are reluctantly discarded, and they rejoice when the balloon begins to rise. Soon they draw dangerously close to the waves again and begin to toss their food overboard. A third time, the balloon begins to descend, and this time one man suggests they tie together the ropes that connect the balloon to the basket in which they are riding, then sit on the ropes and cut away the heavy basket. The very floor they had been standing on falls away, and the balloon rises once again. Suddenly they spot land. With not a minute to spare, they jump into the water and swim to an island. Their lives were spared because they learned what they could live without. Why did Jesus say, “One’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses”? Because what you think will be a blessing can end up being a burden. What you strive for today, you may stress out over tomorrow. Jesus said, “Your heavenly Father…knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else…and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:32-33 NLT).

The Word for You Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from Celebration Enterprises, Inc. Copyright © 2024