Grace Begets Gratitude

Grace is the unmerited favor granted to us by our loving God.  Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:4-6 as “In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”  This, of course refers to the ultimate example of unearned favor and grace that comes to us through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross to cover our sins.

As Christians, we are also called to show grace in our daily lives as we walk in a way that follows the example of Christ.  We are commanded to perform acts of grace to our fellow believers.  As John wrote to the early church in 1 John 3:16-18, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

These need not be onerous or costly acts of love and kindness.  My recent experience of kind acts that showed the love of Christ was much simpler:  soup, casseroles, pastas, and desserts.  I read encouraging cards, texts, and emails.  Phone calls reminded me of the prayers and affection that brought my situation to their minds.  These were practical, thoughtful, and comforting during a stressful time.  My fellow Christians were sharing their faith by using God-given gifts.  Paul reminded early Christians in Romans 12:6-8: “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”

A Christian is also called and challenged to show grace to all people to show forth the Christ’s love in this world. Jesus showed us how to do this throughout his earthly ministry.  Examples such as speaking with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4, healing the crippled woman in Luke 13, as well as many others in Matthew 14: “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”  In 1 Timothy 1:16 we read: “But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.”  We are to model acts of grace for the world around us in order to point them to Christ.

Drawing on my recent experience again, my neighbors and friends were witness to the acts of grace performed by my fellow believers.  This led to conversations about the Lord and how his church is a vital part of my life.  The ministry of members of Hope Presbyterian Church was on display.

Christians are also called to show grace when on the receiving end of the mercy ministries of their fellow believers.  Gratitude is a normal response to gifts. But a recipient of ongoing ministry must accept these ministrations with humility and to admit personal limitations that created this need for support.  My natural inclination is to be prideful about being self-sufficient. I had to learn that it is an act of grace to allow fellow Christians to administer their gifts on my behalf. 

I am grateful for these lessons about grace.

The Gospel in Netflix’s Motel Makeover

Sometimes when I look at my life, a lot of times I can see the ugliness of my heart more clearly than the hope that God gives me through Christ. Sometimes it takes the right sermon, sometimes the right passage of Scripture, the right song, but this week it was the right Netflix show that gave me a vision for God’s work in my life.

Motel Makeover is a gentle, charming escape from reality, or it seems at first, a show about an energizing makeover punctuated with frequent glasses of rosé. But over the course of the show, the two “moteliers” (who are amazing for how much they’ve accomplished at such a young age) actually do wrestle with—not just survival through a hellish remodel—but actual joy in being a team, gratitude, and friendship for the people they are working with, and deep love and delight in the spaces they are producing. And this love can be a refreshing example of what God’s love can look like in our lives. 

The motel, at the beginning of the show, is basically a wreck. It hadn’t been remodeled since the ‘80s, and only someone with a vivid sense of possibility would ever take on the task of modernizing and beautifying it. Throughout each step in the remodel, and each setback, it takes the imagination and love of these two women to carry them through. What they are in love with isn’t the hotel in its current state; it’s their vision of what it will be. They are deeply delighted with the enjoyment their customers will have, the relationships that will be strengthened, memories made. This love for what can be keeps them going. 

We know that God is working in our hearts throughout our lives with his love, beautifying us to his glory. But a lot of times when I look at my heart, all I see is the wreckage of my sin nature. God has already purchased us. What if he sees, instead of blight, the beauty that has already formed where he touched? What if, instead of giving me pointers about how best to manage my sin, God is singing, and hoping I can hear too: singing the triumph song of a life completed. A life made beautiful by his love. Ornate, calm space in my heart for God to walk in, and the highest beauty of all: love for God and love for the world. Maybe right now that love is just a paint splotch on a wall, or one trendy lamp. But someday my heart will be finished. So God can sing and laugh now, although he doesn’t need the rosé to help him celebrate.

The Chosen: The Best Drama About Jesus You’re (Probably) Not Watching

Christian movies and TV shows have had a mixed history. Many have had poor scripts, limited budgets, forgettable casting, and mediocre directing. Others offended Christian viewers by promoting heresies or contracting the clear teaching of Scripture. “The Chosen” has avoided these pitfalls to tell fictional, but Bible-based stories about Jesus and the people who met Him. “The Chosen” richly brings the Gospels to a global audience, providing a chance to see what life was like in occupied Israel in Jesus’ time. “The Chosen” creates credible stories for His family, the disciples, and others who encountered Jesus while remaining faithful to the Scriptures. Many scholars and consultants strive to make the sets, the clothing, and the atmosphere look, feel, and sound like ancient Israel. Jesus is not on-screen for long in any episode, but His presence and impact are dramatic as people come to realize He is the promised Messiah. Jesus’ miracles are portrayed as clearly supernatural, including when the disciples caught an incredible amount of fish, when water was turned into wine, and at the healing of a leper. People’s reaction to Jesus’ miracles span astonishment, wonder, puzzlement, and fear.

The opening credits of the first episode of “The Chosen” include the following, “The Chosen is based on the true stories of the gospels of Jesus Christ. Some locations and timelines have been combined or condensed. Backstories and some characters or dialogue have been added. However, all biblical and historical context and any artistic imagination are designed to support the truth and intention of the Scriptures. Viewers are encouraged to read the gospels.” In 2019, the first season’s eight episodes include (i) Jesus with Little Children, (ii) the Wedding Gift at Cana, (iii) Jesus healing Mary Magdalene, (iv) Jesus meeting the Samaritan women at the well, and (v) Jesus calling His disciples.

“The Chosen” was crowdfunded through Angel Studios. So far nearly 19,000 people have invested over $11 million to bring "The Chosen" to the screen. Viewership is already nearly 200 million worldwide. The show has been translated into 52 languages and seven seasons are planned. In 2021, the second season focuses on the beginning of Jesus public ministry and what happens as word of His ministry begins to spread. “The Chosen” is available for free through the show’s app or on YouTube, and on NBC’s Peacock network. “The Chosen” is reminiscent of other recent Bible-based, Christian-produced miniseries: “The Bible” in 2013 and “A.D. The Bible Continues” in 2015. While storytelling based on the Bible has its drawbacks and pitfalls, “The Chosen” deserves a spot on your viewing schedule.

Two Biographies on First Great Awakening

I encourage every Christian to read and study church history because it is helpful to see the successes and failures of past generations. This fall in particular, I would encourage you to pick up two biographies about two men during a remarkable period called the First Great Awakening, which was a revival of true gospel Christianity between 1720 and 1750.

·         The first biography I would recommend is George Whitefield: God’s Anointed Servant in the Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century by Arnold A. Dallimore. It’s a masterful treatment of one of the greatest preachers and evangelists of all time, George Whitfield. He preached to massive audiences on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the founders of Methodism. But he was also a committed Calvinist and a humble Christian who served the Lord with heart, soul, mind, and strength. As you read this biography, you will undoubtedly learn about the First Great Awakening. But you will also discover the challenge and encouragement of a life that is on fire for the gospel.

·         The second biography I would recommend is Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George M. Marsden. This book explores the life of one of the greatest theologians and philosophers in American history, Jonathan Edwards. As a personal friend of George Whitfield, he was a revivalist who helped spark the First Great Awakening in New England, serving as a pastor in Northampton, Massachusetts, and as a missionary to Native Americans in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. But he also was a scholarly Calvinist, committed to classic, Reformed Orthodoxy. In this way, he brought together a deep love for truth and a deep love for lost people created in the image of God.

As you read these two biographies, I would invite you to join me in sincere prayer for a third great awakening in our nation for the glory of God. May the Lord do even greater work in our age than he did in ages past!

What Does Success Mean to a Christian? (Psalm 1:1-3)

Would you describe yourself as successful? Cryptos and NFTs have finally (and somehow) brought you financial peace; your career brings fulfillment and joy; you have every title and accolade after your name; all your family members deeply love, admire, and care for you. According to your estimation, is this the measure of a successful person?

In fact, is this even the picture of a spiritually prosperous person? You might be surprised, but the Bible gives us a picture of prosperity, and it’s not complicated—it’s only two verses: “How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked / or stand in the pathway with sinners / or sit in the company of mockers! / Instead, his delight is in the LORD’s instruction, / and he meditates on it day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2, CSB).

Okay, I might have spoken too soon. This picture of prosperity is a little complicated—at least, more complex than simply memorize these verses. For instance, just consider the first two words: it’s debatable whether we should translate the Hebrew here as “happy” or “blessed,” and this isn’t just me debating semantics. Happiness is an emotion I find within myself, while blessedness is a state of being, and someone else must give it to me: you don’t bless yourself; rather, someone blesses you. At risk of simplifying this distinction, let’s work with this definition: Life will go well for someone who does what follows.

Now are we done with these complexities, Jonathan? Sadly, there’s another problem to consider: the outcome of Psalm 1 probably feels idealistic to you. Just look at verse 3—for those who follow this blessed path, everything they do prospers. Really? So, if I don’t sit, crack open a beer, and joke with the wicked, sinners, and mockers, then life is going to be great? Not quite. we’re still missing the point of Psalm 1.

Thinking about the context, one could almost rename this psalm “An Ode to Deuteronomy 28.” In fact, much of the Old Testament is looking back to that chapter. In Deuteronomy 28, God gives Israel a list of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. When the nation cares and obeys God’s commands, the people dwell safely in the land, the earth brings forth an abundance of crops, and all Israel’s enemies are decimated. Every time the Israelites are at a low point of history, the prophets would allude to the language of this chapter’s curses, essentially telling the people, “What did you expect? God promised this exact situation would happen for your disobedience.” When the nation rarely did prosper, it’s because the people cared deeply about God’s Law and listened to it. Looking back at Psalm 1, the author gives us a picture of what a faithful Israelite looks like under these Deuteronomic blessings.

From all that follows, do I need to care about God’s Word? According to Psalm 1, the answer is a resounding yes. Going further, how much more should Christians under the New Covenant take this Psalm to heart. The promised Messiah, Jesus, was the only one who perfectly kept God’s Law; moreover, this same Messiah at the cross took on the Law’s curses for sinners. However, Jesus was also the Savior regularly seen in the temple, mediating day and night on God’s Law. Whenever Jesus debated the religious leadership, his usual rebuttal or quip was simply quoting the Old Testament. Jesus Christ cared deeply about what God said in the Bible.

            Furthermore, Psalm 1 shows us that you cannot have your cake and eat it too. You cannot and will not love God on the path of wickedness. The Psalmist paints two paths, and these paths are going in opposite directions. A follower of Christ cannot be on this path of blessedness, while also taking the top ten insights of the wicked, sinners, and mockers. This is a picture of someone actively fleeing from all personal corrupting influence of wickedness. According to Psalm 1, this is the definitive picture of success and prosperity.

            Ultimately, we’re now getting to the heart of Gospel. Think back to that difficult Hebrew word. Later, the Psalms use it again, only this time for a different reason: “How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, / whose sin is covered! / How joyful is a person whom the Lord does not charge with iniquity / and in whose spirit is no deceit” (Psalm 32:1-2, CSB). According to David here, Life will go well for someone who is in a righteous standing before God Himself. The Bible is clear on the only way one finds this standing before God: absolute trust and dependence on Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.

What does it mean to be successful for Christians? When you have come into this authentic relationship with Jesus Christ, you find both happiness and blessedness. You know where you stand with God in life and death. You are not concerned with the path of wickedness and its definition of success. In Jesus Christ alone, and increasing obedience to Him, you find the sum and substance of biblical success and prosperity.

Book Recommendation: Apatheism: How We Share When They Don't Care by Kyle Beshears

In Apatheism, Kyle Beshears describes how modern culture has become increasingly indifferent to God (both intellectually and emotionally) due to secularism, physical comfort, and technological distractions. We normally think of belief in God ranging from atheism to agnostic to theism. But these categories ignore how much someone cares about the “God questions,” ranging from apathy to spiritual fervor (positive or negative). Traditional apologetics does not normally interest someone whose heart is indifferent to God. They find spiritual matters dull, boring, and irrelevant. Beshears urges us to recapture the joy of our salvation and then be a witness of genuine delight in God in our lives to our apathetic family, friends, and neighbors.

Why has apathy toward God increased so much in our culture? First, belief in God now is openly contested and debated. In the past, the existence of God was automatically assumed. Today, monotheism is challenged by science and other alternative claims to authority. Second, much religious and spiritual diversity exists in our society with little harassment and no persecution if a person chooses an uncommon or non-traditional faith. Third, most people are comfortable and secure in these times of extraordinary peace and prosperity. The world’s major superpowers have avoided all-out war with one another for the longest stretch of time since the Pax Romana. And most people in the U.S. spend little time worrying about food, clothing, or shelter. Across much of the world, obesity is a more significant health problem than starvation. We no longer turn to our God for safety and security with the desperation of many other people throughout history. Fourth, people are busy and distracted from considering “God questions.” Technology has allowed us to become addicted to various amusements and entertainment with no time nor patience for contemplating the significant questions of life.

Before we can effectively reach an apathetic world, we Christians need to recapture a joy-filled witness for Jesus that also embraces the peace, hope, and security that only God can provide. We cannot bear an authentic witness to what we have not experienced ourselves. Without the gift of eternal joy from God filling our lives, we can sound like travel agents describing somewhere we have never been. Or like a CPA reciting the tax code; giving facts without any passion. Recapturing our Gospel joy begins with personal confession and repentance.

Beshears describes a three-step outline for a conversation with someone who is indifferent or uninterested in the Christian faith. First, have them describe what brings them their greatest joy. Their source of happiness will likely be some combination of themselves, relationships, possessions, or experiences. Sadly, many Christians provide the same answers to this question as unbelievers. Without spiritual fervor, Christians can slide toward spiritual apathy and become practical atheists; living as if God doesn’t matter. Second, ask the person to consider how fragile and temporary their sources of joy are. How would they react to the loss of a relationship? A financial setback? A health crisis? Being the victim of violence? Where would they find joy in these difficult circumstances? These questions are “Gospel pebbles,” small annoyances that grow over time and to the point where they cannot be ignored. These questions get someone to think beyond their current circumstances and they create an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to nudge them toward God. Doubts and uncertainty about one’s future happiness can cause thinking past one’s immediate situation in a way that facts alone cannot.

Third, describe how God is a powerful and permanent source of joy, peace, hope and security in your life. Describe how the Gospel provides lasting joy despite sufferings and difficulties. Christians can (and should) increasingly find their ultimate joy in God Himself. His eternal joy transcends circumstances. This godly joy is sustained by God’s grace. Once someone becomes more interested in finding God’s joy, then the time is right for a more traditional Gospel presentation such as (i) how our sin separates us from God and how Jesus sacrificed to reconcile us to God, (ii) how the Kingdom of God is battling the forces of racism, poverty, and injustice, and now God’s people can experience a foretaste of the ultimate victory in Christ, (iii) how idolatry leads us to exchange the worship of God for worshipping things that will ultimately disappoint us, but Jesus offers divine joy, rest, and peace, or (iv) presenting the traditional arguments for the existence of God, including God as the first cause of everything (cosmological), God as the standard of what is good, true, and beautiful (moral), and God as the great designer/creator (teleological).

For most of us, time is precious these days. If you cannot afford the time to read 142 pages or listen to a three-and-one-half hour audio book, Kyle Beshears gave several long-format interviews about “Apatheism” including for the Hank Unplugged podcast and the Gospelbound podcast. These interviews captured most of the critical points in “Apatheism” in about an hour.

Are You a Consumer or a Christian?

There is a spiritual disease in modern America called “consumer Christianity.” This disease is rampant among evangelical and Reformed believers, especially in wealthy suburbs like Garnet Valley and Chadds Ford. But at its root, consumer Christianity is an unbiblical mindset that turns Christians into consumers and churches into businesses.

So here’s my question: Are you a Consumer Christian or a Christian missionary?

If you’re not sure, here are two diagnostic questions to consider:

First, how do you choose a local church?

·         Consumer Christians say, “Ask not what I can do for my church but what my church can do for me.” They look for relevant music or well-oiled programs that are already established.

·         On the other hand, Christian missionaries say, “Ask not what my church can do for me but what I can do for my church.” Rather than attending a local congregation for what they can get out of the church, they look for opportunities to serve and use their gifts. For example, they may choose a church near their home so that they can invite their friends and family. They could drive 45 minutes to a church with better preaching, more people their age, or shinier programs. But they want to be missionaries and are willing to sacrifice the “ideal church” for the sake of gospel-mission.

Second, why do you leave a local church?

·         Consumer Christians tend to be serial church hoppers. They attend a local church for a while because they like the services it provides. But eventually, they get bored, have conflict, or disagree with the direction of the church. The church no longer offers what they hoped for. Therefore, they “feel called” to move on to a new, shiny church where they can consume something new and better.

·         But Christian missionaries tend to be loyal. Yes, they want a church that faithfully preaches the Bible and administers the sacraments according to the Word of God. Yes, they want a church that is devoted to prayer, fellowship, and evangelism. But they won’t leave a church for petty reasons as long as they have the opportunity to serve and use their gifts for the glory of God.

In conclusion, don’t simply join a church to receive a spiritual service; join a church to worship God with God’s people on the Lord’s Day. Don’t have the mindset of a passive consumer; have the mindset of a missionary. In all, look for a faithful, gospel preaching church that needs you to serve and use your gifts for the glory of God. Be a missionary, not the consumer.

Do I Really Have to Love That Person?

            Do I really need to care about people?

If you’re thinking about close family and friends, that’s easy to answer. “Of course, I love and care for my friends; I’ve gone through life with them!” But let’s ask this again with different people in mind:

            The toxic individual with an undiagnosed personality disorder. Or maybe the guy who’s struggled on and off with any form of substance abuse. Maybe someone who can’t seem to hold a job for more than a couple weeks, and he uses you to get by. Perhaps someone who truly has brought turmoil into your life, and you feel better off without them.

            What about those people? Do I really need to care about them too?

            All of us have people living on the outskirts of life, and usually we like to keep them there. We don’t actively seek out difficult people, and when they do come into our lives, we’re quick to limit our interaction with them. And when someone has been declared a lost cause, why should I also waste my time, energy, and finances on them?

            If I voted on who is the King of Lost Causes, it would be the Gerasene Demoniac in Mark 5. You may know him as Legion, and he had a terrible lifestyle. Read the opening verses for yourself: He lives in a graveyard and the town treats him like an animal: chain and subdue the guy. The pièce de resistance of Legion’s story? He passes his days shrieking and mutilating his body.

This man was psychotic and dangerous. He is rightfully ostracized from the community, and he has little hope for any future. Dave Garland calls him “a microcosm of the whole of creation, inarticulately groaning for redemption (Rom. 8:22). He is condemned to live out his days alone amid the decaying bones of the dead, with no one who loves him and no one to love.”[1]

But then Legion meets Jesus, and his life changes forever. However, what’s noteworthy in the story is the town’s response: they beg Jesus to leave. What just happen? From everything we described of this man, Jesus did the town a huge solid: they finally can sleep through the night without ear-piercing screams; they don’t need to spend their time subduing the maniac, and most important, they have a man who can return to society as a functioning adult.

You know what the real problem was for the town—why they were upset? Jesus just cost them a fortune, 2,000 pigs to be exact. They all were for helping the demoniac, until it decimated their wallet. Now they wanted Jesus out of there because of it.

How many pigs is Legion worth to you? How much of a cost can you handle? In this story, Jesus is showing that there is no excuse, no one beyond a redemption arc. If someone as hopeless as Legion can become a preacher,[2] then there is no one beyond the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. How much more should we see this for whatever Legion resides in your life.

We are called to have messy—dare I say—unlovable people in life. And my knee-jerk reaction ought never be calculating how many pigs I’ll lose because of them. So, circle back to that final question: Do I really need to care about people?? In fact, change the wording: as a Christian, do I need to love unlovable people? Following Jesus Christ as the example, the answer not only is yes, but it’s more extreme than that: you are called to love lost causes, psychotics, outcasts, people who you believe could never experience God’s grace.

That radical love is nothing less than the love Christ showed us—the most unlovely of individuals—at the cross. And if we claim to have experienced this love for ourselves, Christ calls us to display this same love coming out from ourselves.

[1] Garland, D. E. (1996). Mark: The NIV Application Commentary, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 203.

[2] When you read Mark 5:19-20 for yourself, what else would you call him besides a preacher?

The Gospel according to a Baking Show

I have been a fan of The Great British Baking Show since the first minute I watched, while I was holding a sleeping newborn. I do have some good memories in my life to hang that show on, and also I chose it partly because it was one of the few shows I found that didn’t make me depressed about human nature in some way. But I think there is actually something deeply good in it. The show feels like going over to a dear friend’s house and sipping the tea they brewed and sharing a fresh scone. It feels like welcome and love. When you find a show that warm, you know the Gospel’s in it.

The Great British Baking Show has a culture that is more powerful than justice alone, more powerful than one person beating everyone else. It’s an atmosphere set by the staff, the judges and particularly the hosts, who with compassion engage the baking flops, injuries, and disasters that beset the stressed contestants. They speak the truth about each dessert, but they affirm the beauty of the people and their ability to overcome obstacles, and offer themselves as sincere, supportive friends. This is how the contestants from week to week don’t stomp out angrily at being judged. Their hearts are fed with this fundamental grace, this Christ-kind of love, and they flourish and grow in their abilities and confidence, showing others the same compassion and friendship in the process.

The Gospel is even more beautiful than so beautiful a show. It is the good news that Jesus entered the world to give us the ultimate welcome. He gave himself up in death so that we could have life with God, so that God can clean up the dropped pies and the cut fingers within us, in our souls. Being loved by Jesus who holds out hospitality richer than tea, so ultimately gives us power, like the contestants in the show, to encourage instead of gossip, hug instead of judge, and be genuinely joyful for the success of others. Let’s remember this vision of community made beautiful by love. Let’s mediate on the welcome of God in the person of Christ, who held out bread, after all, and cooked Peter’s fish. Who looked us in the eye and didn’t look away. If we understand the power of that love, and the gentleness of it, we will walk through the world seeing people instead of mistakes (and maybe holding out tea) to make others welcome in His home.

What's Mine Is Mine! ... Or Is It?

In their book, "Mine! How the Hidden Rules of Ownership Control Our Lives" James Salzman and Michael Heller describe the legal and historic perspectives everyone uses to claim anything they own. Ownership claims are some variations of one or more of these simple (though potentially conflicting) stories (i) I had it first, (ii) I possess it, (iii) I worked or paid for it, (iv) it's part of me, (v) it's part of what's mine, and (vi) it's my family's. Salzman and Heller describe many interesting situations of differing ownership claims including reclining airline seats, children on a playground, professional athletes’ obligations to their teams, fishing quotas, e-books, video streaming, medical research on patient's tissues, mineral & oil rights, inheritance, a full grocery cart prior to check-out, and many more competing claims for ownership.

 Greed, covetousness, pride, selfishness, and other manifestations of our sinful nature allow these competing ownership stories to bring out the worst in all of us. The ungodly passions and sinful desires of first-century believers led to quarrels, fights, and even murder. (James 4) Today, we are blessed with an overwhelming amount of material prosperity that is unimaginable to most people throughout history and in many parts of the world. Yet our possessiveness and obsession with our stuff shows no sign of waning. The comedian George Carlin frequently made many clever comments questioning whether we own our stuff or if our stuff owns us because of the time, energy, effort, and resources we devote to our possessions. The Christian approach is not to take our stuff less seriously, but to view what we have from an eternal perspective.

 Private property is an important matter throughout both the Old and New Testaments. For example, four of the Ten Commandments address private property, either directly or indirectly. (Exodus 20) The second commandment prohibits making "for yourself a carved image". The fourth commandment prohibits "your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock" working on the Sabbath. The eight commandment prohibits stealing, i.e. taking what you don't own or depriving someone the value of what they own. The tenth commandment prohibits coveting or desiring what your neighbor owns. God's people are even commanded to protect and care for the stuff of our neighbors and enemies. (Deuteronomy 22 ; Exodus 23)

Our private property should cause us to be thankful for the many blessings from God in our lives. So much of what we have is the direct result of God graciously answering our prayers. Actually, everything we have we received from God (1 Corinthians 4) The list of what we have to be thankful for is endless and should cause us to "rejoice always." (Philippians 4) Many studies show that an attitude of gratitude improves our physical and mental health. And thankfulness is the gateway to the virtues of contentment, generosity, and kindness. But thankfulness does not happen automatically. We need to be specific, deliberate, and consistent in our appreciation for what God provides to us. If we take a few extra minutes each day to thank God for His blessings, the fruit of the Spirit will grow and ripen in our hearts.  Then we will become less preoccupied with our stuff and less eager to win the conflicts over whose ownership story is more important.