It's Just STUFF!

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.  

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Matthew 6:19-21

 

Have you ever seen those tabloids that focus on the "rich, famous, and glamorous"? Have you even secretly wanted to have their life?  How about just their stuff?  

 

Take a look around you, how many people work hard for the sole purpose of stuff accumulation?  How many people just have to have the latest and greatest?  Do they ever seem content with anything? 

 

No, I'm not trying to fault anyone for working hard or for their getting new stuff.  But please remember, it's just stuff!  

 

When the Great Depression arrived in 1929, there were two groups of people: 

     Those who had a lot and lost everything.

     Those who had very little and lost very little.

 

Those who had very little knew how to survive on very little.  They learned to adapt, overcome, and share what little they had.

 

Those who had a lot and lost everything were devastated!  Several even committed suicide because they couldn't survive without all their stuff.  Many learned to scale back and survive though, but with a lot less stuff.

 

We focus so much on stuff that we crowd out the provisions that God gives us every single day.  Jesus reminds us that whatever it is that holds our focus and our desires reveals our hearts.  So.......stuff or God?  That must be proven by our actions and focus.

At Peace

You, Lord, give true peace
    to those who depend on You,
    because they trust You.

Isaiah 26:3

The photo is of our greyhound, Abby.  She is a little pampered and she is at peace....content with her life.  People have forgotten what it is to be at peace and to be content with their lives.  Think about it...we spend our lives always in pursuit of more!  More stuff, more money, more space, MORE EVERYTHING!  We have lost the ability to be content and at peace!

 

Now that it has begun, look at the shopping for Christmas.  Black Friday usually brings out people who are willing to endure horrendous crowds, whatever weather in their area, and will camp out just so they can storm the stores to get more stuff.  Humans never seem to be satisfied.

 

It is the constant pursuit of more that prevents us from knowing true peace and contentment.  We want more money, so instead of cutting back on some expenses, we work more hours.  When we work more hours, we are more tired.  When we are more tired, we get irritable.  When we get irritable, we take it out on our relationships.  When we take it out on our relationships, we create a distance between us and the people we love, and eventually we will end up losing.  All because we insisted we "needed" more.  And I am guilty of this too.

Now.....look at today's verse.  God gives TRUE PEACE to those who depend on Him!  So what do you think would happen if we shifted our focus from "MORE STUFF" to more relationship with God?