Foolhardy Tackiness

The Thanksgiving message from the neighborhood church of the lighted sign:

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!
RECOUNTS ARE OKAY.

The lovely thing about tacky church slogans is the way they bring forth appropriate Scriptures from the mind. For example, the message above triggered my memory of Luke 12:16 ff.:

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

From this, Jesus went on to teach his disciples not to worry about food or clothing, since God provides even for the birds and the flowers, and we are more valuable than they; and since God knows what we need. Jesus concludes in verses 31-34:

"But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

In other words, don't count and recount your material blessings. Use them in the service of others, and don't worry whether you will get them back again. For your true treasure is in Christ.... unless, perhaps, you go to the church of the lighted sign...