40 DAY JOURNEY WITH DIETRICH BONHOEFFER Day 6

Day 6

Goods are given to us to be used, but not to be stored away. Just as Israel in the desert received manna daily from God and did not have to worry about food and drink, and just as the manna which was stored from one day for another rotted, so should Jesus’ disciples receive their share daily from God. But if they store it up as lasting treasure, they will spoil both the gift and themselves. The heart clings to collected treasure. Stored–up possessions get between me and God. Where my treasure is, there is my trust, my security, my comfort, my God. Treasure means idolatry.

But where is the boundary between the goods I am supposed to use and the treasure I am not supposed to have? If we turn the statement around and say, What your heart clings to is your treasure, then we have the answer. It can be a very modest treasure; it is not a question of size. Everything depends on the heart, on you. If I continue to ask how can I recognize what my heart clings to, again there is a clear and simple answer: everything which keeps you from loving God above all things, everything which gets between you and your obedience to Jesus is the treasure to which your heart clings.

Biblical Wisdom
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” Matthew 6:31-32

Questions to Ponder
In our consumerist, acquisitive culture, how can we know when enough is enough?
If “treasure means idolatry,” how might a community of faith both sanction and promote idolatry?
If we “loved God above all things,” how might our relationship to “all things” change?
Psalm Fragment
The eyes of all look to you,
   and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand,
   satisfying the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is just in all his ways,
   and kind in all his doings.
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
   to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18

Journal Reflections
Reflect (as honestly as you can) upon your particular idolatries, on those things (or people) to which your heart clings in such a way that they get between you and your obedience to Jesus.
Wonder in your journal about what you might do to turn your heart from such idols to God.
Intercessions
Pray that you, your family, and friends (name them) might have the wisdom to identify your idols and the grace to let them go and love God above all things.

Prayer for Today
Lord, may my true treasure be knowing you and following you. May nothing stand in the way of your love for me and my love for you.

40-Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Copyright © 2007 Augsburg Books, imprint of Augsburg Fortress.