It is hard for us to accept the idea that abundant life is not measured by the possessions we accumulate or the number of dollars in our net worth. Much of the world’s strategy is to convince us that the only way to make our lives, or the lives of our families, better is to have more money. To get more things.
This perspective leads us to greed and unhappiness. “More” is an unobtainable objective that guarantees frustration and emptiness. Jesus is warning us against the perspective that abundance is an issue of material rather than spiritual gain. He warns us to “be on guard against all kinds of greed” because the opportunities for greed abound.
Jesus also tells us the greatest life opportunity with respect to material possessions is to give them all up for His kingdom. We can do this by transferring ownership to Him; it is His already. By recognizing we are stewards rather than owners, we can enjoy the bounty of God’s grace without worry. It is all a matter of perspective, the way we view our sense of responsibility, ownership, and opportunity for stewardship.
If you have a material possession that you don’t enjoy, get rid of it. God has given us richly all things to enjoy, and placed us as His stewards. We can hold all we possess with an open hand, and gain full enjoyment of His blessings each day.