What's Really Important, Anyway?

Some hurts, some anger, can be stopped before they start. It has to do with:

Living close to the essentials!

This is not about denying anger and hurt. It is about the transformation of priorities and values, so that those things that made us angry in the past, no longer do so.

Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." 14 But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" 15 And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." (Luke 12:13-15)

1. How much of our hurt and anger comes because of misplaced priorities? (On a scale of 1 to 10)

2. How is this man's concerns with inheritance a misplaced priority?

3. Why is this a hard lesson for us?

4. We are to be on guard against all kinds of greed [literally, having more]. How can we be on guard?

5. What does life consist in?

Read Luke 12:16-34

6. Do we work so that we can: Relax, eat, drink, be merry. What is the good life, after all? What do we truly believe? Do we live what we believe?

7. How much of the violence in our society is related to a false notion of the "good life?"

8. Why does Jesus say to us, "Do not worry about your life?" How is this possible?

9. Jesus says, "Do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying." How do you want to respond to this word, today?

10. What are we to strive for instead? How are you doing this? How are you going to do this?