Does hoarding hurt God? I know a self-professed hoarder who would likely be the first to admit she doesn’t have any desire to downsize but would much rather keep collecting more and more stuff no matter how stuffed her house gets and no matter the cost financially. Do you suppose an over-stuffed house and the financial cost are the only costs resulting from her hoarding? Or do you think there is a much more significant cost? The cost of grieving God. Does hoarding hurt God? Does hoarding grieve God? And how does this apply to you and me? Please consider the following Bible verses.
“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.”” Luke 12:16-21
Please consider these verses also:
“”Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
And please read the following verses about the early believers in Jesus Christ as Lord and note how perfectly everything worked out.
“Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.” Acts 4:32-35
Friend, God’s provision to humanity is to be used as needed AND to be shared, given out, distributed, used to bless others, etc. so all are loved, cared for, and provided for.
I encourage you to seek the Lord about whether you have anything materially that He wants you to give to others rather than to keep for yourself. Let us not grieve God by hoarding His provision whereby we accumulate more and more for ourselves when others who could benefit with what He gives us are in need. This world is filled with need. Oh, how it must grieve the heart of God when we hoard His blessings to ourselves when countless people near and far go without.
By God’s grace, since I have been on the road full-time for Him and ministry with no home base anywhere, I have ended up with extremely few possessions – and an increasingly intimate, wonderful, fulfilling relationship with the Lord. I don’t miss any of the material possessions not even having a house. My only regret is I didn’t understand sooner the greatest satisfaction doesn’t come in accumulating more and more of the stuff of this world and hoarding it to myself but comes instead in Jesus and having a forever relationship with Him and in loving and blessing others with that which the Lord blesses me.
Please pray about this, and please give to others whatever He desires you to give!