Obsessed with God?

As we concluded chapter 8 (Profile of the Obsessed) in the book Crazy Love, in our Sunday school class last Sunday, Bryan challenged us to consider giving away some of our possessions that distract us, or hinders our relationship with God…a practice worthy of our consideration, but on the surface difficult to do or even start (after all, can’t we use everything?). Here’s my suggestion of how to rid oneself of those unnecessary things and it starts with an attitude of praise. First, think of those possessions that you praise God for…those things that you are truly grateful for and blessed by…I believe God wants you have those (careful, this is not prosperity theology!). It’s been my experience that when we operate in abundance we tend to lose our attitude of praise and the things we have become possessions instead of blessings. Now those things you take for granted, that you do not praise God for, the item you haven’t used for years, or the thing you have several of, why aren’t you praising God for them? It’s one thing to have warm gloves for winter use and to have 4 pair of warm gloves for possible winter use. Have they caused you not to trust God for provision? Are they from God or of your own doings? I offer this guideline, if you cannot praise God for something you have, every time you use it, it is probably removing or at least hindering your reliance upon God…and that is an element of our relationship with Him that we all desperately need.