The Root of ....

You ever get a letter in the mail from one of your utilities or some other service provider where they tell you they are raising their prices or cutting back on what you get out of the deal?

I got one of those letters recently and it really ticked me off. After allowing the issue to simmer for a while, I was able to be a bit more introspective about the situation.

What caused my reaction of anger to that notice in the envelope? What caused me to (at least mentally) lash out at the sender of the notice?

At first, I found myself going through a justification process. I was working through my mind how I was the victim. This isn't fair! That's MY money. They can't have it.

Then it struck me. Is there something God was trying to teach me through that letter....and my knee-jerk reaction of anger.

As I become more honest with my reaction, I had to admit that my anger, my sense of being victimized, my sense of being wronged....were all legit. But there is something deeper.

My reaction is/was rooted in a deep sense of selfishness. I'm realizing that I'm more enslaved to my money and my posessions and my rights than I care to admit.

No it's not fair. But how we react to "unfair" correlates directly to our attachment to material things.

Attachment to stuff lashes out in anger when it is poked.

We're passionate about our attachments. I know I am.

So how can I unattach myself from material things and attach myself more to God?

It's a start just to be aware of the attachment.