Thursday, May 15, 2014

By: Gwen Hitt

 

 

Part One: Do You Really Need ALL of Your Stuff?

 

Matthew 6:19-20  Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

 

 

Although the picture above was NOT taken in my house, I have to admit that I HAVE acquired lots of stuff both BEFORE and AFTER moving in the home we have resided in for the past 30+ years. Since we are currently in the process of selling our home, I am now faced with thoughts of what will I do with ALL of my stuff!

  

I once heard a Pastor state that we will never see a U-Haul moving truck following a hearse to a cemetery.  At the end of our lives, the material possessions that we become so attached to in our lifetime do not accompany us to Heaven. 

 

Today's scripture makes a very important point .... Rather than focusing on storing up EARTHLY treasures that can be destroyed or stolen in our short time on this Earth, we should invest in our eternal future by storing up HEAVENLY treasures.  

 

God's plan for our lives has always been for us to choose relationships over material.  In fact, the relationships that we have formed with the people that we have pointed to Christ through our words, our actions, our example are actually the only things we can take with us from this life into eternity.  These relationships ARE our heavenly treasures.

 

My challenge to you is to put aside a little time to inventory your earthly treasures as well as the heavenly treasures that you have stored up.  If your earthly treasures are outnumbering your heavenly treasures - it they are consuming your time and energies, begin the process of redirecting your focus to the eternal.

 

Begin by deciding if you really need ALL of your stuff OR if you could bless others with some of your possessions.  Then, purpose to free yourself from the STUFF that is keeping you from doing ALL that God has planned for you. Always remember that investing in people for Christ (rather than things) has lasting returns - eternal ramifications.

 

Dear Lord,  Help me to always realize that my treasure is in You. Keep my focus on the eternal rather than on the temporary. 

 

I thank You, my Jesus, for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life.

 

Reflection:  Are you living for things OR are you putting God first and seeking ways to point others to Him?