Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Luke 12:15 (KJV)

The story of the Rich Fool in the Bible is one that has always stuck in my head. This man had so much that he had to keep building bigger barns to store it all in. Then the Lord comes to him one night and says, “Thou fool, this night thy soul is required of thee…whose shall all these things be…?”

Don’t we do that same thing? What are we saving all this “stuff” for? My Mom used to say, “If you haven’t worn it or used it in the past year, get rid of it, because someone else may need it.”   

Each year when the rummage sale comes along, I try to clean out our closets of clothes that no longer fit, or haven’t been worn recently. I do the same with my fiction books and household items. Next year, I’ll probably have to get rid of Halloween costumes as the Grands no longer raid my attic for such things. Memories are probably my chief cause of covetousness. I don’t want what others have so much, as I want to hang onto things that hold good memories for me.

I think this is a different type of coveting. It’s more like being unwilling or afraid to give something up that we no longer need. This is a form of idolatry, not just coveting. Anytime we place something ahead of God and His place in our hearts, that’s idolatry.

But here in this text from Luke, God is saying that if we haven’t taken care of our souls, and we’re not right with Him, we have nothing. “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Does this mean we shouldn’t have things that make us happy? Absolutely not. God wants us to have a good life and enjoy what we have. What HE DOESN’T WANT is for us to strive for things just to “have” them or to “keep others from having” them. When things become more important than our Lord is to us, that’s idolatry, with a dash of covetousness on the side. Memories are wonderful, and a gift from God, but our eternal future has to be our most precious treasure.

I think the old adage “You can’t take it with you” is one of the best ways to remember what is important.

Covet: To want something ardently, especially something that another person has; long for with envy.

I long for eternal life, but want everyone I love to be there with me. That is my treasure, my eternal treasure. I long to have what the saints in heaven have, but I don’t want them NOT to have it. To have my family and those I love with me in heaven… that is the only worldly treasure I pray I will have with me for eternity, and that’s actually a spiritual treasure as well.