As we finish the discussion of “forsaking it all,” I want to quickly look at the New Testament testimonies of how this was lived out.
It is clear that the disciples still owned stuff. Some had jobs. Peter had a home and a wife.
Although many of the Jerusalem church left everything (traveling from around the empire for Pentecost and staying there to be with the newborn church), others obviously kept the houses they lived in and shared with others. So while some didn’t technically “sell all they had”, they didn’t regard any possession as singularly their own (by choice and not obligation). In some ways, sharing your stuff is more difficult than just giving it away.
Zaccheas repents by giving half of his goods to the poor and restored fourfold what he stole as a tax collector. Not sure how that added up as a total percentage of his stuff, but sounds like a lot.
Paul testifies to being in need and in abundance at different times, and although he does not specify when those seasons were, I do find it interesting Paul used his great need and distresses as evidnece of his apostleship.
Jesus told His disciples to take nothing with them when He sent them to spread the Kingdom two by two. They would have what they needed when they arrived.
Jesus Himself had “no place to lay His head” but was also the guest at feasts and had what He needed when He needed it (like at the Passover). Regarding His earthly family, while Jesus distanced Himself from them in one sense, He still felt responsible for His mother while still on the cross.
Cornelius, the first Gentile to receive the Holy Spirit, was seen as righteous because of his great generosity to the poor and the synagogue.
All these are just examples to show that the idea of “forsaking it all” isn’t a cookie-cutter idea – God never really works that way – but that there is an expectation your life will exhibit the type of change that is revolutionary and will include a real expression of how your life is focused on a whole other Kingdom.
For those that hear “there’s no formula” as justification for why you can’t get rid of your stuff or how you get to accumulate more, I can only say that’s not the point and using “grace for license to sin” and disobey a direct command of ANY who would follow Him.
You do not own stuff. Stuff owns you. It takse resources like your time and entergy to maintain your stuff. The more stuff you have, the more you must do to protect and keep it. You are bound to what you own.
As a personal testimony, my wife and I were led by God to serve in an international school overseas. We were limited in what we could bring with us, so we got rid of a lot of stuff. Sold it or gave most of it away, and stored more than we should have in my parent’s basement.
We lived in Korea with less money and stuff, but we never felt more free to just live for God. And we actually gave more money away than we had before when our incomes were greater.
And once free, I determined to not go back. I came back to America, but I determined to not return to “the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth” which choked out life, killing the plant, in Jesus’ parable of the soils.
But it is difficult to stay in that place. People are fine with you being a missionary and living like that in another country, for the most part, and you might even emotionally inspire some, but to live the same way right under their noses challenges their ideas of success and normal how they’ve lived their life, making it much more personal and practical. It makes many people really uncomfortable.
Which is not the reason to do it and not my personal goal, but I can implore you – give up your stuff. Be free to follow God and bear fruit. You’ll have more joy and see more of the true Kingdom than ever before.
Peace.