sell your posessions

I am finishing up reading the book "Radical" by David Platt.  I am not sure if I can recommend it.  My biggest struggle is with some of his approach to Scripture.  He is very dogmatic and admittedly is holding up a standard that he himself is not living by.

Having said that, he makes some very good points.  One of them is that American Christians tend to forget that Jesus asked us to store up treasure in heaven.  We tend to store up treasure here.  Platt makes big use of the story of the rich young ruler where Jesus tells him to go and sell every thing that he owns and give to the poor.

Taken literally, [and Platt takes everything literally] if everyone in our economy gave everything they owned to the poor, our country would collapse and we would simply change places with the poor.

However, I do think it is a good idea for us to consider the words of Jesus and ask ourselves, how is it that we are showing that we are not controlled by our possessions?  How can we show that we put God before stuff?  How can we that we are radically committed to helping the poor?

Here are some simple things that I am trying to do-
1.  if you don't wear a piece of clothing in a year, give it away.
2.  limit the number of pieces of clothing in your closet.  How many suits do I really need?
3.  buy used cars.  Drive them until they drop.
4.  give money away.  Sacrificially
5.  go on mission trips
6.  help everyone that you can, in every way that you can.
7. if you must shop, shop in the less expensive stores
8. never waste food
9.  never think that you deserve what you have
10.  consider your things and your money to be God's not yours

I know that when we live our lives in a way that makes God more important than our stuff, we find the joy of Christian living. 

I am sure that I am missing some good ideas- what are you doing in your life to show that your life is not controlled by stuff?

It is a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.