Be on Guard

 24 Jul 25

Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Life Application Study Bible Devotion

Be on guard

Jesus says that the good life has nothing to do with being wealthy, so be on guard against greed (desire for what we don't have). This is the exact opposite of what society usually says. Advertisers spend millions of dollars to entice us to think that if we buy more and more of their products, we will be happier, more fulfilled, more comfortable. How do you respond to the constant pressure to buy? Learn to tune out expensive enticements and concentrate instead on the truly good life-living in a relationship with God and doing his work.

“Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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Reflections

Yes, I used to buy a lot of things only to realised it will end up not being used, expired, etc. so over time, I learn to sieve out the extras in my life.

Some steps I did to stay focus

  1. Get rid of clutter

Do some spring cleaning and ask myself 3 questions. Have I used or wear this for the past one year? If I have not touched it for the last year, likelihood I will not touched it too for the coming year. Throw or give away. Anything that doesn’t fit anymore, throw or give away. Anything that is already expired and definitely cannot be consumed, throw. I don’t need all the extra plastic containers. Keep only those that are reusable or reuse any one of them. Otherwise, recycle them. Check my pots / pans. Do I have it in excess. Give away the extra sets.

  1. Adopt a minimalist lifestyle

We don’t need a lot of things. And I have a tendency to buy a lot to keep when it’s on offer, especially the non-perishable items, toiletries, etc. We don’t need to do that. Only buy when the item is truly finishing so we don’t need to keep storing a lot of things. I now do that for my perishables too. Try to finish eating them before buying new ones so we also don’t need to remember if we still have them or not.

  1. Forget about brands / fab.

They are marketing tactics used by companies to entice people to buy their products saying they are better. You will be surprised to find certain things that are much cheaper with good quality too.

  1. Avoid offers / promotions

Unless you know the prices of the items you are purchasing and you have a need for it. Don’t buy to store.

  1. Practice contentment

We don’t need things to feel contentment. So long our basic needs are met, we are healthy, we have no lack, we should be feeling contented. We don’t need the extra pair of shoes or bags or shirts. We have enough.

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