I just finished reading a book by Francis and Lisa Chan called You and Me Forever. It's a marriage book but reads nothing like what you would think a book on marriage would be. Instead it might be the best best thing I've read on how to accomplish the mission other than the Bible. At the the very end Francis makes this statement to sum up all that they had written: "Like a game of hot potato, you should just get rid of your possessions as fast as possible. Invest everything you can in the Kingdom. You life is going to be over any minute, and you're going to regret holding on to things you weren't able to keep." Go ahead and read that again. And maybe again. What is your gut reaction to hearing it? Do you agree? Disagree? Maybe it makes you nervous? Maybe it really excites you? Perhaps your reaction is one of "He can't literally mean we should give all our stuff away. How would we live?" My personal response is more on the side of being curious and wondering how I can have such a mindset all the while being pretty nervous about the consequences.

The interesting thing is that all Francis said is what Jesus said to the Rich Young Ruler is Mark 10. Do you remember that? I'm sure you do. Here's what he said...

And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

I know, I know. Jesus wasn't being literal. He wasn't really saying that we should sell all our stuff and give it to the poor. He knew the man was rich and knew where his heart was so he just cut to the chase. We aren't really obligated to do that. I'm starting to wonder if we just think that way because we are Americans and we have so much stuff that we want to keep. We focus (I focus) on finding a reason why we shouldn't have to give our stuff away and miss the entire point. The point is the KINGDOM, the MISSION, and most importantly JESUS! Jesus ended that conversation with His disciples with this...

Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you,nthere is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and ofor the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold pnow in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, qwith persecutions, and inrthe age to come eternal life. 31 But smany who are first will be last, and the last first.”

The whole point is seeing people entering the Kingdom of God. What am I holding onto that could be used to see people come to Jesus? Do I really care about the Kingdom? Why do I find reasons to not give my stuff away instead of assuming I should?
I am not trying to tell you that you should start giving your stuff away. Most of this is just a few of the jumbled thoughts that have been running around in my head for awhile and it really does help to get them out in print. I hope they weren't too jumbled and if God moves you to action then even better. If you disagree, I'd love to talk sometime. Maybe we could help each other figure it out.
I do know one thing. Our stuff (that God gave us) is a means to an end and the end is the Kingdom, the Gospel, Jesus Himself.

Travis