Giving up everything must mean giving over everything to kingdom purposes, surrendering everything to further the one central cause, loosening our grip on everything. For some of us, this may mean ridding ourselves of most of our possessions. But for all of us it should mean dedicating everything we retain to further the kingdom. (For true disciples, however, it cannot mean hoarding or using kingdom assets self-indulgently.)

It's a law of life: the tyranny of things.

Jesus didn't tell us not to store up treasures. On the contrary, he commanded us to. He simply said, "Stop storing them up in the wrong place, and start storing them up in the right place."

The repentant man rightfully loses trust in himself. He recognizes his self-dependence as the source of his problems, not the solution.

Give. Giving affirms Christ's lordship. It dethrones me and exalts Him. It breaks the chains of mammon that would enslave me and transfers my center of gravity to Heaven.

Giving jump starts our relationship with God. It opens our fists so we can receive what God has for us.

When my thirst for joy is satisfied by Christ, sin becomes unattractive.