Consumption Deception
Often, I wake up early, really early. Then I sit alone, immersed in the quiet, with a coffee, black like the windows. I wait for God to communicate. I actually believe He has time just for me when I make time just for Him. In believing this to be possible, I know I’m believing in a powerful, supernatural God that has the ability to interact with me, and therefore all 8 billion of us, individually. Wow, what a God! What a Kingdom!
Some mornings during this time, an intruder arrives. It’s an unexpected thought. Today, it’s the word “consumption.” God, “What do you mean by consumption?”
“Consumption versus contribution.”
“What about it?” I ask without speaking, just thinking the question.
“Teach what I’ve shown you, awake the sleepers.”
“God, they are not sleeping. Well, maybe most of them are right now. But they will be up soon.”
“Some have become drowsy with too much consumption. It’s a deception. Teach.”
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We sleep so we can be awake. Not the other way around.
We eat so we have the energy to do things. Ditto.
We invest in learning so we will know things. Useful things. Things that, in knowing them, we can have a bit of success in navigating life and knowing our God.
We watch movies, read books, travel, play, attend, see the sights, and scroll the feeds. We entertain ourselves with these things. Some of it is learning. Some of it is refreshing. A lot of it is fun.
But be on guard against becoming drowsy with too much contribution-quenching consumption. This would be Satan at work, trying to deceive us into being big consumers and small contributors. Not so different from the slow, steady arrival of physical disaster that comes from eating a lot and doing very little. Or financial ruin from sleeping a lot and being lazy all day. Or the endless learning of things without any sort of kingdom-advancing mission.
Know when to take a break from the distractions of the world’s buffet. God has contributions for you to attend to.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17 ESV)
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8 NIV)
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You are reading The Clearing Blog. You are seeking God. You have placed your love for God at the top of your love order. This Bible verse is about you:
Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior]. For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has set you free from the law of sin and of death. (Romans 8:1-2 AMP)
In your praise and worship of the King, you will hear His whispered shout. In partnership with the Holy Spirit, your life, your love for one another, including the healthy balance you strike between consumption and contribution, will draw those around you to Jesus.
