New Way

Excerpt from The Pressure's Off by Larry Crabb

Either we live to store up things for ourselves, or we live to become rich toward God. We cannot do both. No one can live the Old Way and the New Way at the same time. This man hoarded possessions. We chase after fulfillment, importance, a community to belong to, security in relationships, emotional health, a good reputation, honor and appreciation, a self-protected soul, happy families -- the list is endless. And so many items on it don't seem selfish. They're blessings God wants us to have. But never as our chief treasure.

When blessings, even noble ones, become our chief treasure, we hoard them. We may seem generous and giving, but we never sacrifice what matters most. Christians who store treasures other than God in the barn of their soul do not worship God. They can't. Their core worship is directed elsewhere. Living the Old Way turns us into selfish fools, no matter how we may appear to others. That's the point of the parable.

I hear Jesus telling us:
"Don't live the Old Way. If you value the blessings of life over communion with God, you'll end up miserable. Guaranteed! But if you live the New Way, if you draw near to God, not to exploit His power but to enjoy fellowship with Him, then He'll supply everything you need to participate in furthering the Immanuel Agenda. Guaranteed! And you'll know My joy, the joy I experience in the fellowship of the Trinity."

p. 127