Friday, August 14, 2009

Three Dollars Worth of God

I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please.
Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep,
but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk
or a snooze in the sunshine.
I don’t want enough of God to make me love a black man
or pick beets with a migrant.
I want ecstasy, not transformation.
I want warmth of the womb, not a new birth.
I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack.
I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please.

— Wilbur Rees

I read this poem this morning and it blew me away. As I read it, it confronted how I think many in the church view God. Give me the family but not the sacrifice. Give me a place to belong but not so much that I lose myself. Give me enough to sing songs but not so much that I lose myself in the Spirit. Just enough to speak to my fellow Christians in my denomination but not so much that I have to speak to strangers about Jesus or speak in tongues. Help me give enough of my money so I feel good about it but not so much that the church can do something innovative and daring. I want enough so I can sit in an interesting and "well-thought-out Bible class" but not so much that I have to teach that "well-thought-out Bible class."

I guess I want more of Jesus. What would $100, $1000, or $100,000 buy? What would I get if I gave my life to Him? How much of Jesus do you want?

2 comments:

  1. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." (Matt. 13:44).

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  2. Preach it brother. It is so hard to quantifiy "selling all we have" in modern time...did He relaly mean it....or is there some compromise...it doubt it.

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