Luke 12:15 Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

Jesus said that life is not measured by how much you own, how much you gain, or the luxuries you are able to afford. Truthfully not everything that is measured by people matters all that much. Some of the most important things in life that do matter can’t be measured. So, how do your measure the success of your life? In Luke 12, Jesus gives a few questions by which you can measure your life.

Question 1: Do you have a relationship with Jesus? In Luke 12:21 Jesus says, “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” It would be horrible to spend your whole life evaluating your worth on a scale that has no value. Jesus is basically saying that without Him nothing else has eternal value.

Question 2: Have you trusted Jesus enough to discover His care? Your experience with Jesus will not exceed your willingness to trust Him. In Luke 12:23 Jesus said, “For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. 24 Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds.” When you attempt to handle every choice and crisis in life on your own, you not only have to deal with marginal results, but you also negate experiencing the sustaining care of Jesus. When you trust Him to the point of denying your ways and accepting His you will discover a new level of His care.

Question 3: Is the peace of God present in your life? In Luke 12:29 Jesus said, “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. 30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs.” Jesus said one measure of real life is knowing the peace of God in all circumstances. Jesus mentions that the world’s mind is dominated by the stress of this life. However, as a believer, your life can be dominated by His peace.

Today’s challenge: Don’t measure your life by comparing it to the life of others. Instead, evaluate your relationship with God. Examine the infinite distance He will go to care for you and experience the surpassing peace He has for your life. When you evaluate your life according to what He has provided then you will discover your life is abundantly blessed.