October 26. Luke 12-13.

 

Living out of a suitcase, or never leaving your home, the same phenomena can happen; You organize your clothes in your suitcase or in your dresser and everything is in its place. You know exactly where everything is and it fits perfectly. Then it happens; you have to use something that you have packed in your suitcase or placed in your drawer. And suddenly the order is disturbed. Use too many items or change your mind and before you know it there is chaos, and it looks as if your suitcase or dresser drawers have revolted against your system and order.

Life is like that. You desire order in your life, in your home, in your marriage, family, and business. And you work hard to put things in order. But the moment you use something or touch something in any area of your life, the disorder begins to appear.  You constantly must work on the order and prioritize putting those things back into order otherwise the chaos takes over and then you cannot enjoy what is available for you.

That is why passages like Luke 12 and 13 are so important to read and meditate upon. They can remind you of basic truths that can put your life back into order and balance. Meditate for a while on this thought that Christ shares with a very large crowd that had been following Him and listening to His teachings.  

 

12:15 Beware! Don’t always be wishing for what you don’t have. For real life and real living are not related to how rich we are.”

 

Quit wishing for what you don’t have. That is not real life and real living. If you do not have it, it is not a part of your life. How much of life is spent wishing for things that are not real (aka, things that you do not have)?

Ordering your life means getting back to reality. Real life and real living are not related to what you have or how rich you are. That is a very powerful and profound thought that deserves more time than a 500-word count devotional thought can offer.

So then what is real life? What does real living look like? Well, Christ later introduces that concept and pursuit with these words in verse 30:

 

12:30 All mankind scratches for its daily bread, but your heavenly Father knows your needs. 31 He will always give you all you need from day to day if you will make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.

 

What is living with purpose? What is real living? Making the Kingdom of God your primary concern. Go ahead, take that job or promotion. Go ahead move into that new house, or take that online class, or sign up for that yoga class – by why? And will you use it to advance the Kingdom of God? Because that is what real living is all about.

You live. You use what is in your life – that is okay. But as you live, things can get shifted and disheveled or even misplaced. Take some time and reorganize. Put the order back into your living. Live a real life.