The Oasis - 7-31-24
Author: Rev. Eric Dupee
July 31, 2024
Summer is a season in which many will travel on vacation or at least take-off for the day. How do you pack for a trip? What sorts of things do you bring? I have a need to have the proper footwear for whatever I’m doing: boots for hiking, sandals for leisure time, sneakers for walking around town. When I leave one place for another, I do a wallet, phone, and keys check. If I have those three things, I feel safe. When we travel, we fill suitcases. We try not to forget anything.
Jesus had a different vision for his followers when he sent them to travel the region and teach. He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money – not even an extra tunic” (Luke 9:3). He didn’t want them weighed down with stuff. He wanted them to interact with the people they encountered, relying on their kindness. He didn’t want them to go to their bags or their wallets for what they needed. He wanted them to first turn to God.
Are you going through life with more than you need? Is the maintenance of your material possessions requiring too much of your energy and attention? Perhaps it would be a good spiritual discipline to purge. Trying to do with less may be a way to draw closer to God and to others.
Blessings,
Eric
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