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Timmy Brister posted the following video, and it just reminded me again of what I’m afraid of most: settling into a comfortable life, and not seeking the bondage of Christ.

I have been blessed abundantly and extravagantly, spiritually, yes, and also materially. Laura and I were given, just flat out given so much in the past months — money and gifts. We have so many nice things now — reclining seats, nice bookshelves (which I still need to assemble), a crazy-cool espresso machine (see my previous post on that). Not to mention a brand-new house.

It terrifies me.

I can see how easy it is, to settle in, and just be comfortable.

I don’t think what Laura and I have is wrong to have. We have been praying, since we started the process of building/buying our house, that God would save 25 people in the next 5 years through it — through our family, our hospitality, our witness in our communities.

Please, pray for us. Pray that God would shake us constantly. Pray that we would feel unsettled in our place, knowing that we are moving toward Christ-likeness and that our house is not our eternal and permanent home. Pray that our lives would not be wasted.

Today, we bought an espresso machine. It was on super-sale, and I got a 30% discount, so we paid about 60% less than the original retail price. We paid for it with money from wedding gift returns.

Honestly, we did not make this decision lightly. Spending a lot of money on something like this seems extravagant, and definitely not “war-time.” I struggled with this purchase, even though it was something I really wanted to have. We prayed about it. Really, if I were to hear of someone praying about whether or not they should buy an espresso machine, I would laugh. I would think it was pathetic.

But we honestly didn’t know what we should do.

It’s hard to know where to draw the line with consumption — with buying “stuff.” I know it’s not intrinsically wrong to have a nice espresso machine. I also know it’s something we can definitely live without. There are kids starving in Africa, dying of AIDS, and going to hell.

And we bought an espresso machine. Hopefully, we made the right decision, and this purchase will honor the Lord. It sounds silly, saying that, but I’m sincere.

I was talking to my good friend Nathan recently, who was and will again be a missionary in Cambodia. We were talking about big church buildings and nice houses.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily wrong,” he said. “Money doesn’t solve the issue. The issue is the gospel.”

Maybe, the Lord will do more with the money for this espresso machine, through our practice of hospitality, by the ministry in our home, than he would if we donated it to our favorite ministry. It sounds ridiculous, but I believe God is big enough to turn something like an espresso machine into a tool for his kingdom.

I hope he does. I hope this doesn’t sound like justification, or me baptizing our purchase. I really want this purchase to glorify the Lord.