Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares
Have you ever been overcharged? You were charged more money than you expected and more money than you had. Perhaps you ordered a meal at a restaurant, but without thinking about it you got a couple extras like an appetizer or desert and then there is the tip. You realized this was more expensive than you were expecting. Maybe you have a charge card and are charged that way. You might have an Amazon account where it is so easy to push a button and your item is on its way to you and you are charged for it. If you are not paying attention, you, your spouse, and your children can all do that. Then the bills come due and you think, “I am overcharged.”
Sometimes that is true of life. Life just drains you dry and you don’t even realize what is happening. Jesus addresses this in Luke 21:34 when He says, “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged [weighed down] with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” Specifically, back in verse 6, Jesus had said, “As for these things which ye behold [ the temple in particular], the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” They asked Him, “Master, when will this happen?” What follows is a great prophetic passage.
Whether we take the time to take all that in right now or not, the point is the same, “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. And take need to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged.” The bottom line right now is pay attention to how you are spending your life, specifically this summer. Things get busy. Camp is a very intense time and the schedule and pace change for most of us here on the Ranch. If we are not careful, even when we are doing good things, we can go through the entire summer overcharged, drained, and weighted down with “surfeiting, and drunkenness, and the care of this life.”
That word “surfeiting” means a “drunken headache, giddiness.” So, pay attention to how you are spending your life this summer. Pay attention to the things that matter in life.
Back in October, when we stopped at a truck stop on the way home from meetings in Missouri, I realized my wedding ring was missing. I never take that ring off, so I didn’t know when it came off or what had happened. We tore things up to find that ring, but we could not find it. I assumed it was lost forever. It is quite the story, but long story short, my ring was found. A ring is important; it is valuable. You take heed to that. You take heed to the spouse your ring represents. Likewise, your life is valuable. It matters how you spend your life. You can’t spend your life or money on everything all the time. You only have so much life and so much money. So, pay attention to how you spend your life this summer.
There are several things about which to be careful. One is the cares of this life. Jesus said, “Don’t be overcharged with the cares of this life.” This morning we had delivery trucks earlier than normal at the Ranch campground. That is a sign of the times. The way the season goes it is easy to be concerned about deliveries, bills, health, and other things, and we become overcharged.
In Luke 10 Jesus was eating at the home of Mary and Martha. Famously, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word, but Martha was cumbered and distracted with much serving. Was much serving good? Yes, but it is not a reason to be distracted from the one you are serving. Jesus said to her, “Martha, Martha, thou art careful [worried] and troubled about many things.” That is the very definition of anxiety, trying to keep track of too many things. You are distracted. Jesus continued, “But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Don’t be so drained by the cares of this life that you miss the most important things of this life and beyond. Taking care of your family, food, and clothing are important, but one thing is needful, the eternal, the Lord Jesus.
In Luke 12:29 Jesus says, “And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.” What do we doubt, worry about, or get distracted by? It is just daily life, food, clothing, debt, deadlines, bills. Jesus continued, “For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.” So, first things first. Pay attention to how you are spending your life. Don’t be absorbed by the daily cares of this life.
The second is escapism. What is drunkenness and a drunken headache? It is escapism, trying to crowd out the things that worry or destroy your wellbeing and peace of mind. Maybe you don’t get drunk, but you find yourself living for the weekend. You button yourself down in your den to watch movies and eat ice cream all weekend. Is there anything wrong with some levity or giving your mind a rest? No! But there is more to life than that. Jesus is talking to people in light of the eternal and the prophetic and says, “Take heed to yourselves.” You should take care to yourselves just like you would a wedding ring or anything else of great value, lest at any time your hearts be weighted down with the cares of life or trying to escape the cares of life.
What are we to do? In the next verses Jesus says, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always.” Watch and pray. The Lord is here and knows our needs even before we tell Him. Talk to Him and watch for the Lord to show up. Don’t be so absorbed with life that you are drained by it. Pay attention to how you are spending your life this summer. You only have so much life to spend and may God help you spend it wisely, praying to Him and watching for Him to show up in your daily life.